It is almost that time of year where people are spoiled with plush teddy bears holding hearts that say “I Love You,” pink and red wrapped candies and chocolates, and sentimental gifts ranging from DIYs to jewelry. By having a day centered around the idea of love, February 14th is a classic time for couples to celebrate their affection and relationship with one another. Most people who are not in a relationship dread the first weeks of February leading up to this special day, and ultimately, the day itself. Single people were forced to be around couples celebrating on February 14th, longing for a significant other to share this day with… until the concept of Galentine’s Day was born. Galentine’s Day has changed people’s perception of Valentine’s Day. Nowadays, people not only celebrate the love of a significant other but also the love of friendship with their closest girlfriends, making the holiday more inclusive for single women. The idea of Galentine’s Day was first introduced during an episode of Parks and Recreation that aired in 2010 and, traditionally, the holiday is celebrated the day before Valentine’s Day—February 13th. If you’re wondering how you can take part in this upcoming season of love… Here are 5 ways to celebrate Galentine’s Day with your beloved girlfriends:
- Gift Exchange: Galentine’s Day Edition
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Just like a Secret Santa gift exchange during Christmas, a gift exchange for Galentine’s Day is a fun way for a group of friends to celebrate the holiday! By using the website Elfster, you can easily organize a gift exchange with your friends. Elfster randomly pairs people within your gift exchange so that it all remains a secret. You can upload a wish list for your paired person to see, so that they can get you everything you have been wishing for! Then, you can add all of your favorite Galentine’s Day treats to your gift, whether that be conversation hearts, Hershey Kisses, M&Ms, truffles, chocolate covered pretzels, or an enormous stuffed teddy bear! At the gift exchange, you can have fun decorations and photo ops for you and your friends to commemorate this moment! Maybe if you try this idea, it can become a yearly tradition!
- A DIY Spa Day
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Another way to celebrate Galentine’s Day is by having a DIY spa day with your closest girlfriends! We are all stressed out about issues in our lives, such as school or the world around us, and therefore, a day centered around love can be used for self-love! At your nearest drugstore or Sephora, you can purchase all of the spa day necessities for you and your friends. I suggest that you get a variety of paper face masks, peel-off face masks, and the cutest new OPI nail polish colors in order to have the best DIY spa day yet! If you go to Sephora, I personally love their pearl and rose facemasks, which fit right in with the theme of Galentine’s Day. Additionally, OPI just released a new collection with Hello Kitty, and their new colors “Let’s Celebrate” and “Dream in Glitter” are very festive for the month of February and the Galentine’s Day season!
- Going Out for a Galentine’s Day Dinner
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Treating yourself to a nice dinner on Galentine’s Day is a great way to celebrate! Galentine’s Day and Valentine’s Day fall on a Thursday and Friday this year, and therefore are perfect nights to go out to dinner! You and your friends can go to your favorite type of restaurant, whether that be Italian or sushi! Some suggestions of restaurants in Ann Arbor that are perfect to go to with your girlfriends are Jerusalem Garden, Slurping Turtle, or Mani! After your dinner, you can end your meal by ordering dessert or getting ice cream somewhere near State Street to fulfill your Galentine’s Day sweet tooth!
- A Rom-Com Movie Night
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A rom-com movie night with some of your closest girlfriends is a chill and relaxing way to celebrate your Galentine’s Day Holiday! Whether you want to go out and find a new rom-com in theatres or stay in your apartment or dorm room and make your own little movie night, this is a perfect way to spend quality time with your friends and have some good laughs. If you decide to stay in and create your own movie night, I suggest that you watch one of the following: Bridget Jones Diary, Crazy Stupid Love, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, There’s Something About Mary, The Ugly Truth, My Best Friend’s Wedding, or 10 Things I Hate About You.
- Galentine’s Day Themed Bakeoff
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Lastly, a great way to spend Galentine’s Day is with a Galentine’s Day-themed bakeoff competition with your friend group! Galentine’s Day is a holiday full of lots of baked goods and sweets, so what could be better than making homemade desserts to indulge in with your closest friends? You can go to your local grocery store and buy brownie mix, cake mix, and cookie dough along with Galentine’s Day colored frosting and sprinkles to decorate with! You can get really creative and make very cute desserts!