Valentine’s Day has a love-hate relationship with most people. It fights for a place with every other holiday. ‘Christmas for couples’ as Journalist Amy Martin so perfectly put it.
A day for couples to buy a lot of gimmicks and proclaim their love for each other. For anyone single this can be the worst, but it doesn’t have to be.
While February 14th may not be for everyone, February 13th is for the girls. This is because February 13th is Galentine’s Day. Now, if you don’t know, Galantines is Valentine’s Day for girls; a day specifically assigned to celebrate the bonds that exist among female friendship groups.
First appearing over a decade ago in an episode of Parks and Recreation, protagonist Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, decided to gather her closest female friends together for a breakfast the day before Valentine’s Day.
“Valentine’s day is about romance, but February 13th, Galentine’s day, is about celebrating lady friends. It’s wonderful and it should be a national holiday,” Knope says in the episode.
The idea first proposed by Knope in 2010 has since taken a hold on women throughout the world and has now become mainstream; and what is more beautiful and empowering than women celebrating women?
Now, if you want to celebrate Galentine’s Day this February 13th, you might find yourself wondering how the day might be best spent. After two years of Galentines being celebrated remotely, we owe it to ourselves and our closest female companions to make this one extra special. So, what might the day consist of?
If you’re after a feminine touch, classy aesthetics, good drinks, and some bomb Instagram pictures, look no further than Pink restaurant on South William Street in Dublin. This spot is perfect for an afternoon tea or an evening meal with your nearest and dearest.
Or, why not get glammed up at a Fenty Beauty masterclass at Harvey Nichols? Not only are tickets just €10 but they are also redeemable on any Fenty Beauty products. Not to mention you get a goody bag. I mean talk about the perfect Galentine’s day. Tickets available on the Harvey Nichols website.
If you are not up for going out and just want to chill in the comfort of your home why not invite some of your female friends around. Take the day to look after yourselves, whether that involves indulging in some gorgeous Galentine’s Day treats, whether baked yourself or bought, doing some skincare and having a spa day or watching a chick flick and wrapping yourselves in blankets.
There is something to suit everyone. It’s just a wholesome day with very little pressure surrounding it, as I imagine at some point Valentine’s Day was too.
It is basically a day to celebrate how great your female friends are in whatever way suits you and your gal pals best. “Ladies celebrating ladies”, as Knope put it.
Jade McNamee
Image credit: Katie Treadway on Unsplash