On February 13th, women leave their romantic partners behind and convene on the breakfast joint of their preference for brunch. It’s the day before Valentine’s Day and before celebrating the relationships with their romantic partners, Leslie, Ann, April, Donna, and company swap stories and celebrate each other over waffles. It’s Galentine’s Day, the best day of the year, as said by one Leslie Knope. Born out of the NBC comedy series, Parks and Recreation, Galentine’s Day is for – and celebrated by – women and the fostering of their loving, supportive, platonic relationships. While Galentine’s Day spurred two memorable, hilarious episodes for the series, the writers created an unofficial holiday. In the spirit of the ever-prepared and plan-oriented Leslie Knope, here’s your guide to celebrating Galentine’s Day like a true Pawneeian.
Before we begin, keep in mind these few things to avoid:
Yes, Galentine’s Day is love-fest of female friendship but that doesn’t mean your day could hit a snag. To ensure enjoyment all around, take caution over any suggestion to reunite someone’s parent with their first love. The story of unrequited love may sound cute, but the reality of passing decades could prove that the lifeguard hunk who saved your mother is now an unemployed loon. The story may sweep you up in the romance, but don’t get too swept up you jump in your car to reunite the pair.
A second caution for those who may be missing the Ann Perkins to their Leslie Knope, do not convene a Galentine’s Day celebration to simply find your new Ann. First, your Ann is irreplaceable. She is a beautiful-star-fish-graceful-gazelle and one should never seek to replace her. If you feel so inclined to use your Galentine’s Day as a means to rank your friends, simply don’t. In the words of Donna Meagle, “That’s messed up.”
Brunch It
Start off your Galentine’s Day celebration by kicking it breakfast style. Choose your favorite breakfast joint or diner for waffles, frittatas, and mimosas. The breakfast place of your choosing could be your town’s beloved meeting spot like Jj’s Diner or maybe you just want to treat yo’ self and head to Eagleton – just don’t tell Leslie.
Someone Recites Their Love Story
While Galentine’s Day is a sacred holiday to celebrate women and their friendships, there’s always room for a good love story. Think of this Galentine’s Day tradition as a prologue for Valentine’s Day. Whoever is willing to share their love story is more than welcome to chime in, but this moment is usually reserved for a tale to rival any romantic novel. Of course, there are no guidelines or requirements for the love story. Just make sure that the story makes The Notebook look like Saw 5
An Exchange of Gifts
The exchange of gifts on Galentine’s Day does not need to be grand or expensive. Go the heartfelt route. For some inspiration, consider making a bouquet of hand-crocheted flower pens. If you want to take a step further on the crafty side and you have the time, create a mosaic of your friends’ faces using the crushed bottles of their favorite soda or a needle-point pillow with your Galentines’ face on it and the lead headline from the day they were born. If they were born on the day Stalin dies, maybe err to disregard the headline. But if crafts just aren’t your thing, a 5,000-word essay on why each of your Galentines are so awesome will definitely suffice. If you’re short for time, gift certificates for facials are a great surprise
End of the day: Unwind with Parks and Recreation
With Galentine’s Day falling on a work day, post-breakfast means back to work for you and your Galentines. But don’t fret. By the end of the day invite your Galentines over and uncork a bottle of bubbly. Relax and enjoy the episodes that started it all. Season two episode 16, season six episode 17, and season four episode 14 are available to stream on Netflix and make for a perfect end to the best day of the year.
Parks and Recreation gave audiences a witty comedy that made the relationships between its characters top priority. It’s no wonder the Galentine’s Day episodes resonated with fans as they, much like Leslie, made the unofficial holiday worth celebrating beyond the world of Pawnee. In the spirit of the beloved sitcom, we all must remember Leslie Knope’s now famous words, “We need to remember what’s important in life; friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter, but work is third.” Happy Galentine’s Day!
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