At last, it’s the month of February! You know what that means; mark your calendar and make sure you are free on February 13th. Yes, you read that right, the 13th is definitely not a typo. Just to be clear, I did not confuse February 13th with the, dare I say, the overrated holiday that closely occurs on the 14th. If you did not know already, February 13th is the date of a much underrated holiday—Galentine’s Day. 

Though technically not an “official” holiday, Galentine’s Day is a day that was at first dedicated to celebrating female friendships but has now evolved to celebrating friendships in general. It is quite literally the combination of the words “gal” and “valentine”. Considering dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com have recognized Galentine’s Day to be an official word, who’s to say it isn’t a legit holiday? Besides, why should we let the calendar app on our phones tell us which holidays are “official” and which we should celebrate?

So, why celebrate Galentine’s Day? Well, although celebrating romantic relationships on Valentine’s Day (February 14th) is important, let’s not forget who has been there for you since day one, and who will always be there for you no matter how those relationships turn out. Your best friends are people who have been there for you in ways that a romantic partner just can’t. It is a whole different level of love that should be celebrated, appreciated, and recognized. Most importantly, Galentine’s Day is about feeling grateful for your friends, who have spent hours listening to you vent about your problems, gave you endless amounts of advice, and stood up for you in every situation that you couldn’t. 

While many people dread this time of the year and do not want to spend another holiday alone, there is (as corny as this may sound) always a bright side. Sarah Doblibennani (10) expresses her opinion on Galentine’s Day and how she thinks that “just because you do not have a romantic relationship with someone this February does not mean you can’t have a good time.” She elaborates by sharing how she “can’t wait to go out and have fun with [her] friends to celebrate their special bond.” 

You may be wondering, where did the idea of Galentine’s Day even come from? Well, the upbringing of Galentine’s Day is definitely different than how Valentine’s Day came about to say the least. Believe it or not, Valentine’s Day actually dates back to around 496 AD! Compared to Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day seems like it was just introduced yesterday. It all started in 2010 when the fictional character, Leslie Knope, from the series Parks and Recreation invented the holiday to celebrate her female friends (Season 2, Episode 16). That one episode in a sitcom has spread to great lengths and made history. On the topic of making history, St. Valentine’s Day was created by the Catholic Church to honor two men killed on February 14th, both named Valentine. Though a rather dark origin, Valentine’s Day as we know it is now dedicated to celebrate love. 

There are so many different ways and things that you can do with your friends to celebrate Galentine’s Day. Literally, anything fun that involves being with your friends. If you’re looking for something more outdoorsy, some ideas include going on a hike, going to the beach, having a picnic in the park, riding bikes, having a shopping spree, or having an adventure. On the other hand, some more chill ideas include watching a movie, eating at a nice restaurant, having a sleepover, or having a spa day. Whatever it is you choose to do, there is no doubt that it will be fun. I mean, what isn’t fun when you’re hanging out with your friends?

I think the conclusion is loud and clear. No more excuses, no more feeling sorry for yourself for not being in a relationship on Valentine’s Day, and no more depriving yourself from having a fun Galentine’s Day with your besties.