Celebrate Galentine’s Day! Recipes, ideas, and More!

Let’s talk all things Galentine’s Day! What is it, when is it, and how does one celebrate it? I’m sharing all about this trendy new holiday including its origin, meaning, and festive ways you can partake in this fun-filled holiday.

We all know about Valentine’s Day: the annual holiday that pops up every February 14th. It’s a day to celebrate and be with our special someone. Well, what if you don’t have a special someone? What if you want to celebrate the special bond between you and your closest friends?

Well, thanks to Leslie Knope (and the amazing creators and writers behind the hit show Parks and Recreation) we have Galentine’s Day!

What is the Meaning Behind Galentine’s Day?

To quote Leslie Knope,

“What’s Galentine’s Day? Only the BEST day of the year! Every February 13th my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and we just come and kick it breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas. ”

Galentine’s Day was “invented” in 2010 on Season 2, Episode 16 “Galentine’s Day” of the TV series Parks and Recreation.

While Galentine’s Day isn’t an official holiday, it might as well be! It’s a day to recognize the significance of friendships, which at the end of the day are some of the most important relationships in our lives.

Who Celebrates?

“Lady friends”… but also, anyone and everyone. I think the idea behind Galentine’s Day started as a way for women to celebrate their female friends. While this is fabulous and amazing, I’d like to think that if Leslie Knope were still around today, she’d encourage anyone and everyone to celebrate.

To me, the day is about sharing love with the people you’re not romantically partnered with regardless of gender.

What Day is Galentine’s Day?

Galentine’s Day is February 13th. It is always celebrated the day before Valentine’s day.

When is Galentine’s Day 2023?

It will be celebrated on Monday, February 13, 2023.

Okay, so now that you’ve had a quick run down of what Galentine’s Day is, where it came from, and when it is, you probably want to celebrate. Right? But how? Well, my “galentines,” you’ve come to the right place. Here are just a few ways you can celebrate.

Ideas for Celebrating

“Kick it Breakfast Style.”

As mentioned in the quote at the beginning of this post, this day was first celebrated with/at breakfast/brunch so naturally, this would be my first suggestion. You can make reservations at your favorite restaurant or host something at home. Need some easy and delicious breakfast recipes? You got it! Check out my best breakfast recipes HERE.

Host a Netflix and Pizza Night.

Can’t do breakfast? Host a pizza and movie night. (You could even whip up a signature cocktail to celebrate.) Keep it simple by ordering pizza from your favorite local shop so that no one needs to cook. These homemade chocolate covered potato chips would the perfect dessert!

Host an Art-ty.

Gather up some art supplies and some inspiration and just draw, create, paint, scrapbook, etc. Serve some tasty appetizers and drinks, then create and enjoy! 

Create or Attend a Flower Arranging Class.

Work with a local flower shop to schedule a flower arranging class. I realize this may be challenging to do on or around Galentine’s Day, as this is a busy time of year for flower shops, but this might be something you could plan before or after February 13th. As an alternative, you can reference the post HERE where I share lots of tips and tricks for flowering arranging and you could host your own class.

Plan a Game Night and/or a Dip Party.

Multiple times on my blogs I’ve mentioned wanting to do this and I think Galentine’s Day would be the perfect day. Host a get-together where everyone brings their favorite dip! (If you need a few ideas, I have a collection of delicious dip recipes HERE.) You can play boards games, videos games, etc.

Even More Ideas:

• send snail mail Galentine’s Day cards to your friends
• attend or host a cooking class
• make crocheted flower pens (One of Leslie Knope’s Galentine’s gifts.)
• visit a local museum, gallery, botanical garden, etc.
• make homemade candles or DIY bath bombs
• create a tabletop garden or plant a terrarium

More Themed Recipes and Ideas

It’s also worth mentioning that I have a plethora of Valentine’s Day recipes and ideas on Inspired by Charm. You can see them all here. I also have a blog post where I gathered up many of my favorites. You can find that HERE. I thought it would be useful to share these in case you’re looking for things that are themed around traditional Valentine’s Day colors and treats.

Recommended Galentine’s Day Recipes:

• Sour Patch Galentine’s Day Cookies
• White Chocolate Chex Mix
• Sweetie Martini
• My Favorite Sangria Recipes
• No-Bake Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecakes

Have more ideas for celebrating? I’d love to hear them. You can continue this list and conversation in the comments section below.

That’s a Wrap!

Even if it’s just a small gesture, I hope you’ll take a moment to celebrate all the beautiful friendships in your life this Galentine’s Day. Not only will it make the recipient feel good, but I also guarantee you’ll feel a bit more love too.

And for fun, I will finish this post with one more of my favorite quotes from Leslie Knope. It only seems fitting. So for now, Happy Galentine’s Day!

“Hoes before Bros
Uteruses before Duderuses
Ovaries before Brovaries”
– Leslie Knope