Although known as the holiday for romance, Valentine’s Day is a chance to appreciate all types of love and friendship. Originating from the popular NBC sitcom Parks and Rec, Galentine’s, celebrated on Feb. 13th, is a day where friends come together to display their appreciation for one another. So round up your friends, pop your favorite popcorn, and try out some of these ideas to host an entertaining, relaxing, and adorable Galentine’s get-together!
Picnics in the Park
As a perfect photo-shoot-ready gathering, picnics are a way to celebrate friendship, eat good food, and relax in local environments. For beautiful, scenic picnic locations, look no further than El Dorado Park Estates in Long Beach, Ralph B. Clark Park in Buena Park, and Pearson Park in Anaheim. Host this picnic potluck-style, where everyone brings a dish related to a fun theme (ex. food beginning with the first letter of your name, food from your culture, your favorite food, etc). If you choose to go down the traditional picnic route, include charcuterie boards and small sandwiches to make delicious, picturesque, and easily shareable meals.
Arts and Crafts Day
Creative crafts offer a great way to show off your artsy talent and leave you with an adorable keepsake to remember the day by. Craft ideas such as painting tote bags or learning a skill like sewing or crocheting leave each person with a unique token of the day. For friendship-centered art projects, try making personalized friendship bracelets or flower bouquets, with each person bringing their favorite flower to complete a unique arrangement that represents your friend group.
Movie marathon
For a cozy, easy-to-organize Galentine’s Day celebration, grab your favorite snacks, throw on a pair of cute pajamas, and snuggle up to watch your favorite films with friends. For movie ideas, move beyond classic pictures depicting traditional romance, and shift your gaze toward stories like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Breakfast Club, and The Sandlot which demonstrate how love blossoms through friendship. Affordable yet delectable snack ideas to elevate a binge-watching session include popcorn, chocolate-covered strawberries, or Valentine-themed treats, such as heart-shaped brownies, cookies, and pizza. For those more gifted in the culinary department, pick from The Gamut’s many recipes online (for perfect cold-weather staples, look at our article on soups and stews) to host a delicious movie night!
Galentine’s Gift Swap
A “Galentine’s swap” is a perfect way to express your love and appreciation with unique gifts. Similar to a “Secret Santa” gift exchange, Galentine’s swaps can be done anonymously, with presents being exchanged from each person’s wish list. Gifts can be handmade or store-bought, with a set budget. Affordable ideas include Valentine’s Day snacks, handmade paper flowers, photo collages, and Galentine’s cards. This gift swap is the perfect way to practice the art of giving with a fun hangout and exchange!
Slideshow Night
Bring your favorite snacks and get together with friends for an evening of laughter because here is slideshow night! Choose a theme, and have each friend create a slideshow discussing the past year in friendships, favorite media, music, movies, or anything of interest. A few ideas include a “my friends as [category]” or a “rankings of [category]” (categories can be characters, mood boards, friends’ survivability in certain situations, etc.) or a collection of controversial opinions. Along with being a source of entertainment, these slideshows can serve as an amusing memento of friendship for the future.
Spa Day
If the idea of jam-packing Galentines with activities sounds unappealing, then spend the day celebrating self-love and friendship with a relaxing spa day! Spa days can be simple — grab a few face masks and some nail polish, play relaxing music, and snatch whatever else is needed to unwind. Take a break from the bustling demands of life and enjoy the serenity and rejuvenation of self-care with friends.
Whether it’s getting hands-on with arts and crafts, hosting a fun-filled, relaxing movie night, or just spending quality time with your friends, you cannot go wrong when celebrating those you love. Try out some of these creative Galentine’s ideas and remember to take some time this February to celebrate all the love in your life — no matter what form it comes in.
