Somewhere between college graduation and entering adulthood, life became busy; so busy that I could solve a jigsaw puzzle sooner than I could nail down a night that would work for my closest friends to get together. Laura and Alex can do next Tuesday, but Alyssa and Pam are only free Wednesday. Want to look into the following week? Oh, but Alex can only do the week after that. And suddenly, the friends you once spent the most time with—possibly even lived with—are like the most exclusive New York City restaurant, and have to be booked months in advance. This struggle (plus, I’ll admit, my love of pink), sparked the idea to host what’s become my annual Galentine’s Day Party, and what I would argue to be the best day of the year.
ICYMI, Galentine’s Day is a fictional holiday created by Leslie Knope in a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation. The holiday is celebrated on February 13 (Valentine’s Day Eve), and is a time for celebrating the women in your life with a boozy brunch.
The group anticipates the annual party even more so than, say, a birthday. Ahead of February, everyone knows Galentine’s Day is approaching and clears their schedules—one friend even flies in from Michigan to NYC for it. The day is, yes, very cute, but it means more to me than just a pretty pink party. What starts as catching up over heart-shaped pizza and rosé cocktails at noon, typically ends in a Britney Spears dance party by the late evening. For the eight or nine hours that we’re together, whatever is going on in our lives is set aside because it’s our time to laugh, reminisce, and not worry about anything else other than being together. Each year I have cards and games laid out, but we never end up playing because we don’t need them, we just need each other. (Okay fine, and rosé).
In our busy day-to-day, we forget to celebrate life and one another, but Galentine’s Day is filled with so much love that it almost makes up for not getting to be together the other 364 days of the year. And damn, do we know how to celebrate. If you’re thinking of starting your own tradition, all I can say is to do it. Don’t wait. Throw the party, and let these tips make it easier for you:
1. Make it a pajama party.
How to be the best party host ever: tell your guests to wear pajamas. Because when we got busy after college, we also got very over the idea of wearing a bodycon dress and heels out. Plus, this is an affordable option where people can grab what’s already in their closet or run to Target and spend $20 max.
2. Find heart-shaped foods.
I dedicate a lot of time to finding pizzerias in my area who are willing to make me a heart-shaped pie for this occasion and it’s always worth it. There’s also plenty of easy recipes online for baking heart-shaped cookies, and I’m a proud owner of a heart-shaped ice cube tray.
3. Pick a theme.
I went with a pop-culture theme last year, paying homage to iconic movie and music references. This included a vinyl sign on my mirror that said “you’re like, really pretty” for selfies, custom pink M&Ms that said “as if,” and a (positive) Burn Book that my friends could tape polaroid pictures into and write nice messages.
4. Dream up a signature cocktail.
FYI, what sounds like a fancy drink does not have to be that complicated. While I always have rosé on deck, I also like to have ingredients for a cocktail. Equal parts raspberry lemonade and vodka, with a splash of Champagne is an easy three-ingredient cocktail that can be garnished with raspberries for a chic touch.
5. Make the best playlist ever.
Your party is only as good as your playlist. This isn’t my strong suit, so I typically enlist a friend to tackle this. Here’s ours from 2019, for all of the inspo:
And if you’re still not convinced, trust me when I say that hosting an annual Galentine’s Day celebration has been one of the best things I’ve done in my twenties.