What started as a fictional holiday from the popular sitcom Parks and Recreation has turned into a full-blown celebration. Galentine’s Day (February 13th), as coined by Leslie Knope, is a celebration of female friendships and a day to fully cherish the women you surround yourself with. Personally, I place immense value on the friendships I have with other women for a variety of reasons, from the support they give me to the way my friends help me grow. Given all the ways my friends have made my life better, I am definitely celebrating this day. Here are some ways you can too!
- Baking
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I am someone who expresses her love through baked goods, which is an especially good thing for my friends because I like to think I am a halfway good baker. Baking is surprisingly easy too, no matter your skill level. This week, consider taking some time to whip up chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, or whatever your friends’ preferred sweets are to share. You can make them from scratch or get them from a box. I can confirm that most people cannot even tell the difference and will be more impressed that you took the time to make them something. Another option is to bake with your friends, a task that is possibly messier, but definitely a bonding experience that, if successful, will end deliciously.
- Shopping
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It might just be that I am forever a teenage girl who wants to go to the mall with her friends, but taking a shopping trip with friends is a fun way to spend part of a day together. I recommend going thrifting because we are practicing sustainability this 2020, which makes the experience way more fun. Searching through racks looking for the gaudiest outfit to try and convince your friends to try on is an easy way to make memories and just enjoy being with one another. Shopping allows you to spend time doing an activity that does not require serious focus, creating the opportunity for conversations to flow. Hopefully you’ll end the day with a cute outfit and feeling closer to your friends.
- Coffee
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Coffee is a tried and true friend date, and really there is no reason to mess with perfection. Given that you can never go wrong with grabbing some coffee or tea with friends, I don’t see why it can’t be used to celebrate Galentine’s Day. Especially since Galentine’s Day falls on a Thursday this year, which may not be the easiest day to plan things, taking a moment to connect over drinks is a simple way to make time for the ones you value. But if you have more time, I highly urge you to really communicate with whoever it is you are going out with. Ask them how they are really doing, what their goals are for this week, month, quarter, or year, and if there is anything you can do to help support them. Use it as a bonding opportunity and reiterate how much you value that person.
- Hiking
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So, I personally have complicated feelings about hiking. I greatly enjoy it and think it is an amazing way to get out with friends and soak up the sun in nature. But unless it’s a super easy hike, I have issues finding time to communicate when on the trail. Do I still repeatedly do it despite knowing I am not actually going to have any substantive conversations until my friends and I are heading downhill? Yes, I do. Despite my personal feelings about it, if you are someone who is good at hiking, bring your friends, take them out on a trail and get your hike on. Try out a new challenge if you are going with people who also love to hike, or maybe invite a friend who does not get out as much and show them why you enjoy it. Use this as an opportunity to push yourself and your friends physically because that’s a good trait of friendships: pushing and supporting one another when needed.
- Volunteer
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There are so many opportunities to help out here in the community. Why not use one of those as a way to hang out with friends? Proposing this could lead to a conversation where you figure out which mutual causes you support, then working together to figure out how you can help out. Maybe you and your friends are passionate about politics and the upcoming elections, so you help people register to vote. Another option is getting people to sign an environmental petition, or donating supplies to the many basic needs drives going on this week. Volunteering together can give way to not only building a stronger connection between you and your friends, but also you and your community.