There's no love quite like the love between you and your closest friends. Whilst Valentine's Day celebrates the romantic love between you and that one special person, Galentine's Day, in contrast, is a celebration of all the special people in your life.
Although the name suggests that it's a holiday reserved solely for women, since it's popularisation, Galentine's Day has evolved into a fun celebration for everyone. Some have even renamed it Palentine's Day to take this into consideration!
It may be a made up holiday, and some may find it a little silly or cheesy, but with all the stresses and negativity in life, it's important to find these light hearted moments. Moments where we can celebrate the love and appreciation we have for each other. Finding great friends isn't easy, so it's nice to take any opportunity to thank them and shower them with love.
As we get older, and our responsibilities pile up, it gets harder and harder to find the time to spend with your friends, so Galentine's Day is the perfect opportunity! This post lists some Galentine's ideas on how to celebrate and make the most of the day, plus, some ideas for Galentine's cards and Galentine's gift ideas if you choose to go all out!
Galentine's Day Meaning
If you've never heard of Galentine's Day, you're probably wondering 'what is galentine's and where did it come from?!'. So we included a little background about the newly popular and unique holiday.
Galentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated on the day before Valentine’s Day, February 13th, to honour platonic friendships and celebrate the love and appreciation we have for our friends. It is recognised as being created and popularised on the television show Parks and Recreation by the fictional character Leslie Knope.
Galentine's Ideas
If you like the sound of this holiday and would like some inspiration on how to celebrate it this year, we have you covered!
Firstly, there is no wrong or right way to celebrate the day. From organising a beautiful themed brunch to throwing a cosy at-home movie night - the most important thing is that you create an opportunity to bond with your friends, make memories and enjoy yourself!
Plan a Galentine's Day Party
If you want to go all out for your new favourite holiday, why not plan a Galentine's Day Party! You can make the party as big or small as you would like. It could be a fun brunch, lunch or dinner with your closest friends. Or, you could go big with a themed party. Whatever you choose to do, remember Galentine's Day is supposed to be fun, so don't plan anything too stressful.
Some ideas to make your Galentine's Day party special include:
- Suggesting a dress code
- Creating delicious signature cocktails and mocktails
- A pretty tablescape with flowers & decorations
- Playing fun games around the table
- Organising 'Secret Galentine' (like Secret Santa but for Galentine's Day!)
Have a sleepover
If you would prefer to keep it cosy and casual, why not plan a 'grown-up' sleepover with your closest friends - like the sleepovers you used to have when you were younger but with cocktails!
Watch your favourite movies with popcorn, play fun games, make your favourite drinks, paint each others nails and do face masks. And, if you really want to go all out, do it all in matching pyjamas!
Go to a class or workshop together
Book a class or workshop to go to with your friends and learn something new together. It could be an in-person or a virtual class (especially great for long-distance friendships). Some ideas for classes you could book include cocktail making, flower arranging, fitness class or even a sip and paint evening.
Galentine's Cards
On Valentine's Day you may send and receive love letters, so why not do the same for Galentine's Day? Write your friends an appreciation note to let them know how much you love them and how much they mean to you. Write it inside a Galentine's card that is perfect for them - see some ideas below:
Galentine's Presents
Pair your Galentine's card with a gift. It doesn't have a to break the bank, it's just a small something to put a smile on their face and remind them how much you appreciate them. See below for some ideas:
A sweet treat
Send your friends their favourite sweet treat. Whether it's a pretty cupcake, doughnut, cookie or chocolate bar - who doesn't like being surprised with chocolate?!
Loved Themed Socks
Treat them to a pair of socks, so they'll always think of you when they wear them! Our socks are made with cotton-rich fabric, made in the UK and embroidered in our London studio with love 🧡
Colourful Stationery
Why not go for a super useful gift? Help your friends get organised for the year ahead with some colourful stationery including notebooks, planners and to-do list notepads.
A Tropical Houseplant or Flowers
Surprise them with a bunch of beautiful flowers with a handwritten note, or if you have friends that have a green thumb you could gift them a tropical houseplant that they can keep on their window ledge as a daily reminder of your friendship.
A special accessory
Treat them with an enamel pin they'll love! We have lots of Caribbean-inspired and tropical pins to choose from:
