3 Ways to Celebrate Galentine's Day (2024)

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Co-authored byMegaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: February 10, 2020References

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   Plan to celebrate on February 13th. Galentine’s Day takes place one day before its more famous namesake.^[2] If you don’t want your G-Day festivities to compete with that other lovey-dovey holiday, ask your girlfriends to make room on their calendars for a bash on the 13th!

   • Don’t worry about planning too far in advance. The most important thing is to find a little time to recognize the most important women in your life (and, hopefully, enjoy some waffles with them).^[3]
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   Organize a meetup at your favorite brunch place. If you’re really a stickler for having a “traditional” Galentine’s Day celebration, then going out for brunch is a must. Get your squad together at your favorite diner or pancake house—preferably someplace that serves breakfast all day.^[4]

   • An all-day breakfast joint or 24-hour diner is ideal if you aren’t all able to get together in the morning. That way, you can still celebrate with “brunch” even if it’s 8 PM!
3. See Also

   75 Galentine's Day captions to show your friends some love25 Galentine’s Day Activities Leslie Knope Would Approve ofWhat is Galentine's Day? Plus the best Galentine's Day gifts and splurgesGalentine's Day: How a Made-Up Holiday Became a Celebration of Female Friendships

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   Celebrate with waffles and other breakfast foods. Breakfast foods—and especially waffles—are a key part of the Galentine’s Day festivities. To really get into the spirit of the holiday, top your waffles off with plenty of whipped cream.^[5] If waffles aren’t your thing, then get whatever breakfast treat you love most, whether it’s classic pancakes, fruity crepes, French toast, eggs benedict, or a sizzling breakfast skillet.

   • Galentine’s Day is not a day for salads or restraint. If you’re watching your diet, chalk it up as a cheat day.
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   Get festive with some fizzy co*cktails. Champagne is another Galentine’s Day staple. If your venue of choice doesn’t have mimosas on the menu, find out if they’re BYOB so that you can make your own.^[6]

   • Some other tasty brunch co*cktail options include vodka-spiked lemonade, a warm hot toddy, or a fruity brunch punch with bourbon.

   Tip: If you don’t drink, you can request (or make) a virgin mimosa with orange juice, lemonade, and Sprite. Give it a festive mocktail finish by adding some rimming sugar and an orange slice garnish.

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   Tell each of your lady friends what you love about them. Your mutual love for your female friends is really what lies at the heart of Galentine’s Day. Take a moment to go around the table and recognize each of your pals and talk about what makes her special to you. This is also a great time to exchange cards or gifts.^[7]

   • Pay your friends creative compliments that reflect what it is that makes them so awesome. You can even write a haiku in their honor, or compose a “found poem” using snippets from texts they’ve sent you.^[8]

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   Choose gifts that reflect your friends’ personalities. Galentine’s Day is about celebrating what makes your girlfriends special, so look for gifts that are personal and meaningful to each of them. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or expensive—just a thoughtful present that shows how much your friend means to you!^[9]

   • For example, if you have a creative friend, you could get her a gift certificate for a painting class or buy her some fancy yarn she’s had her eye on.
   • For foodie friends, you might get a recipe book, some cool kitchen gadgets, or a ticket to a gourmet food tasting event.

   Tip: Flowers aren’t just a symbol of romance. If any of your gal pals have green thumbs or just like flowers, consider getting them a live plant or cut flowers that represent friendship, such as coral roses, oak-leafed geraniums, or zinnias.^[10]

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   Make your own gifts for an extra personal touch. There are few things more special than a hand-crafted gift. Print out some favorite pictures of your friends and put them in hand-decorated frames, make personalized keychains for each of your pals, or even make everyone a friendship bracelet if you’re feeling extra nostalgic!^[11]

   • A vision board makes a truly personal gift that will inspire your friend and make her think of you every time she looks at it. Get a little cork board and fill it up with beautiful, cute, or inspiring pictures of your friend, her pets or kids, and other people and things she cares about.
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   Buy them Parks and Rec-themed merch if they’re fans of the show. If you and your besties are celebrating Galentine’s Day, chances are you share a love of Parks and Rec. Honor the “reason for the season” by treating each of your friends to a Leslie Knope mug or a shirt with their favorite quote from the show on it.^[12]

   • If you’re the crafty type, channel your inner fangirl into handmade gifts your best friends will treasure forever, like a personalized Parks and Rec cross stitch for each of them. Do a quick Google search to find tons of patterns online!
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   Pay it forward with donations to non-profits or by doing volunteer work. Your friends make your life better, so one of the best ways to honor them is to give back to your community. Ask each of your female friends to name the charity or non-profit of her choice, and make a small donation to each in her honor.^[13]

   • If you can’t afford to donate money, consider volunteering your time or skills. You could even celebrate with your friends by teaming up to hit the phone banks, knocking on doors together for a cause you care about or having a crafting party for organizations like Cardz for Kidz or Preemies of the Carolinas.^[14]

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   Invite your friends over for a cozy brunch at home. If you don’t feel like going out for Galentine’s Day, invite your friend over for a more private and homey celebration! Hang out in your pajamas, make waffles together, and kick back on the couch with some fruity co*cktails or spiked coffee.^[15]

   • If you have a waffle maker at home, get creative with it. Try making waffle-maker hash browns, pizza, or savory mashed potato waffles.
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   Go to dinner, lunch, or tea if brunch isn’t your thing. Even if brunch was an integral part of Leslie Knope’s vision of Galentine’s Day, don’t feel like you have to limit yourself. You and your friends might prefer having a fancy lunch or dinner, meeting up for tea, or chowing down on pizza and wings at the local pub.^[16]

   • If you and your friends are feeling really adventurous, you could even do a food crawl and hit up a bunch of local restaurants you haven’t tried yet!
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   Throw a themed party to celebrate your common interests. If you and your pals all share a particular hobby or passion, a themed party is a great way to celebrate your common bond. Wear costumes, put up decorations, or have foods and drinks that reflect your chosen theme.^[17]

   • For example, if you all love cats, you can put on sequined cat-ear headbands, make a cat-shaped cake with yarn-ball cake toppers, and put together a confetti-filled “glitter box.”
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   Organize a fun outing or day trip to get a change of scene. If you and your friends are a more adventurous crowd, you might want to venture beyond food and co*cktails at your local diner. Try doing something extra special, like hiking together, visiting a local museum, going to an amusem*nt park, or even going for a short road trip.^[18]

   • Check out sites like Groupon or LivingSocial to find great deals on group activities near you.

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