What do waffles, crocheting and essays have in common? They’re all part of the original Galentine’s Day!
Did you know that Galentine’s Day was actually created by fictional character Leslie Knopes on an episode of the Parks and Recreation television show?
Who would have though that an unofficial, made up, holiday would be so widely celebrated!
Keep reading to learn the history of the Galentine’s Day and some fun Galentine’s Day trivia! Plus get a list of ways to celebrate this special day in February.
What is Galentine’s Day?
Galentine’s Day is a day dedicated to celebrating the wonderful female friendships in your life! This special day is an unofficial holiday, but one that is fun to celebrate none the less.
It’s a day to gather with your friends, and celebrate the love all around you, not just the love of romantic relationships.
While it’s traditionally a day for gal-pals, we encourage inviting any of your friends that you’d love to shower with extra love! The more the merrier!
When is Galentine’s Day?
Galentine’s Day occurs annually on Feburary 13, the day before Valentine’s Day.
Sometimes people celebrate it on other days in February out of convenience, but the 13th of February is the official date of Galentine’s Day.
While the holiday falls on the 13th, its first appearance was in an episode of Parks and Recreation that aired on February 11, 2010.
If you’re interested in learning more about Valentine’s Day make sure you check out our guides to Valentine’s Day symbols and the colors of Valentine’s Day.
Parks and Rec Galentine’s Day history
The writers of the show Parks and Recreation created an episode titled “Galentine’s Day” (season 2, episode 16). In this episode, the character Leslie Knopes threw a party celebrating her female friends.
The party was a brunch centered around Leslie’s love of friendship and breakfast food (especially waffles!).
She gave her friends an extravagant gift bag filled with all sorts of eccentric gifts including a handmade mosaic of their faces, a bouquet of crocheted flower pens, and a personalized 5,000 word essay of why they’re so awesome.
When the Parks and Rec Galentine’s Day episode aired in 2010, it was seen by 4.98 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. With those numbers, it’s not surprising that this holiday became so popular!
How to celebrate Galentine’s Day
Welcome to your Galentine’s Day guide! Here are some creative ideas to help celebrate this special day.
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- Host a waffle brunch, and make a gift bag for each of your friends who attend! We’re not suggesting you write them a 5,000 word essay like Leslie Knopes did, but we’re not discouraging it either.
- Get this free February word search featuring the national days of the month, and locate “Galentine’s Day” in it.
- Have a Parks and Recreation marathon! Make sure you watch episode 16 of season 2 to see the Galentine’s Day episode!
- Print out these free Valentine’s Day puzzles (word search, word scramble and crossword) have your guests solve them.
- Gather your best gal pals and have a girl’s night in. You can give them a party favor like this s’more in a jar gift.
- Learn how to crochet. Maybe you can even make crochet flower pens like Leslie Knopes did! Roses are a symbol of Valentine’s Day, so you could add a crocheted rose pen to your bouquet.
- Print out these free Valentine’s Day coloring pages and give them to your friends to tap into their creative side.
- Do you have some friends you’d love to shower with love, that are far away? Write them a letter to let them know how special they are to you!
After you celebrate Galentine’s Day, learn about Valentine’s Day, by checking out these posts about Cupid, including the story of Cupid and Psyche and the story Daphne and Apollo.
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If you need a cocktail to serve at your Galentine’s Day party, make sure to check out this video showing how to make a Valentine’s Day themed love potion cocktail.
