What do Wannabe by Spice Girls, That’s What Friends Are For by Stevie Wonder, and With a Little Help from My Friends by The Beatles all have in common? If you guessed that they’re all about friendship, then you would be correct. These songs can pay homage to friendship any day of the year, but luckily there is a day in February dedicated to celebrating those who mean the most to you – enter, Galentine’s Day.
Taking place on February 13th, Galentine’s Day gives us an excuse to tell our friends how much they mean to us while celebrating some of our most meaningful connections, which may be more important than we even realise.
According to Mayo Clinic, having good friends has many mental benefits, including heightening your sense of belonging and purpose, improving self-confidence and worth, and increasing happiness while reducing stress. Mayo Clinic also sites that strong friends promote an overall healthier lifestyle physically. Adults with a strong network of friends are less likely to develop high blood pressure, reach an unhealthy body mass index (BMI), and decrease the risk of depression.
Knowing that friendship plays into our overall health gives us even more reason to celebrate our most meaningful friends!
Ever wondered where the day originated? Is there an old Saint Galentine? Unfortunately, there is no Saint Galentine to worship, much to our dismay, but we do have Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) from the popular television show Parks and Recreation to thank. The spirit of the day is best captured by gathering your friends and celebrating friendship.
So, with all of this in mind, let us help you plan the ultimate Galentine’s Day that will not disappoint.
Date Ideas
“[Galentine’s Day is when] 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.” – Leslie Knope
Paint me like one of your French girls
Or, maybe not quite like that! Get those creative juices flowing by hosting a Paint and Sip party equipped with lots of food and drinks. To plan ahead, share around a survey and have everyone vote on what they want to paint during the party. If there is a tie between a few pictures, let people choose whichever is striking their fancy. If planning isn’t your thing, no worries! Let everyone decide what they want to paint on their own.
An alternative to the traditional Paint and Sip is to divide the group in half, half as painters and the other half as explainers. The explainers must describe the picture to the painters without disclosing it – somewhat like a game of painting telephone! This will push everyone to work together and lead to some potentially hilarious paintings.
It’s game time
What better way to break the ice and kick off a night of festivities than with games? No matter what the group is in the mood for – get to know you, funny, trivia – there are endless options to choose from. If you are looking for a game to get to know the group more deeply, reach for We’re Not Really Strangers. This game can help facilitate deeper conversations within the group and promote a new level of closeness between players.
Looking for a game that combines funny and trivia? We suggest trying out For The Girls, a guaranteed way to make everyone in the group laugh so hard they might just cry. Playing games with friends is a great way to not only laugh and have a good time but they are also a great way to reminisce on past experiences.
Time for a marathon, a movie marathon
There is something so comforting about snuggling up with friends in your comfiest, coziest loungewear to watch a movie marathon. To avoid a lull in the party, narrow down the list of potential movies beforehand and share it with the group. That way, everyone can come with their top vote, and you can dive right into the fun. For a fun twist, have a movie snack potluck where everyone brings their favorite snacks to eat while they watch.
Keep it simple
Want an easy Galentine’s Day idea? Book a dinner reservation at a fun, new spot in town that you’ve wanted to try out. A night out with friends is a great way to get out of the house and enjoy the company of those around you. To level up the experience, make it a themed dinner and have everyone dress up. Some theme ideas include rainbow (everyone picks one color to wear), favorite TV show character, best movie, and so many more. Adding a theme to your dinner is a fun way to create conversation and hear about why people decided on the costume they did!
Gift Ideas
“A bouquet of hand-crocheted flower pens, a mosaic portrait of each of you made from the crushed bottles of your favorite diet soda and a personalized 5,000-word essay of why you are all so awesome.” – Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler)
So, while we, unfortunately, can’t deliver a 5,000-word essay about each of you, we can help by brainstorming stellar gift ideas for all different types of friends. When planning for Galentine’s Day, adding a few small gifts for friends or doing a white elephant can be a fun activity for large and small groups. Whether you are getting serious or gag gifts (literally 😉), let us give you some inspiration.
The gift that keeps on giving
If we’ve learned anything, it’s that no one can ever have too many sex toys. If you’re thinking of treating your gals to something special for Galentine’s Day this year, consider showing your love through the gift of an orgasm – aka with a sex toy! With an overwhelming amount of options to deliberate between, let us help you out with this list of sex toys to try out.
So naughty, it’s nice
Do you know what goes hand in hand with a new vibrator? Well, lube of course! There is no time like the present to give the gift of lube to your closest group of gals. It’s perfect for your single friends or those in a relationship. We suggest grabbing a bottle of our new X Premium Liquid Gel
If you or your friends find it challenging to choose which lube is best for you, you’re not alone. There are so many options to choose from these days, so clear up any confusion by reading about The Best Lube for Every Occasion. And hey, sending this to a friend can be a gift in and of itself.
Choose your own adventure
What better way to show someone you care than by making something with your own hands? This can be as big as creating a scrapbook with shared memories or as simple as baking them a homemade treat – these acts of kindness do not go unnoticed. No matter what you get your friends, Galentine’s Day is all about celebrating each other and toasting to your love.
Want to spend the day celebrating yourself? Absolutely do that, too! There is no shame in treating yourself to a fun solo date night and splurging on a gift to yourself. The best part about Galentine’s Day is that you can make it whatever you want it to be! If there is one thing that you shouldn’t miss out on, though, it’s definitely the acts of self-love, both naughty and nice 😉.