Although Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, there's another holiday you and your dear friends (whether single or not) should celebrate: Galentine's Day.
Over the years, Galentine's Day has been coined to commemorate female friendships, with the occasion falling annually on February 13. The term was first inspired by a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreationwhere Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, explained the meaning of the holiday, which is celebrated the day before Valentine's Day.
While hosting her annual Galentine's Day party for her friends, Leslie called the holiday “the best day of the year” as she finally got all of her friends together.
“Every February 13, my friends and I leave our husbands and boyfriends at home and we just come and have it like breakfast. Ladies celebrating ladies,” she said.
With the holiday theme in mind, there are a variety of activities you can consider for your day out with the girls.
From writing sweet cards for your best friends to creating your own spa night, here are some things you can do when hosting your party on February 13.
Creating your own photo booth
(Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Although February 13 is not Valentine's Day, you can still keep the love day themes. For example, you can decorate your house with pink, white, and red decorations, allowing you to create your own photo booth.
You could start by grabbing a pink and red tinsel curtain, which sells on Amazon for just $6, and hanging it on your wall, creating the perfect backdrop. You can also go to a local store and buy a variety of heart-shaped balloons of any size so that you and your friends can pose with them.
If you want photo wall decorations that are specific to the holiday theme, Amazon also sells pink balloons that say “Galentines,” which sell for $17.91.
karaoke night
While playing music at your party may already be a given, who's to say it can't be a bigger activity? For your party, you can purchase a set of two karaoke microphones, which sell for $19.99 on Amazon. The microphones also come with Bluetooth and speakerphone function, so your friends will definitely hear you sing along with the instrumental or non-instrumental version of your favorite song.
Or, if you'd rather not buy microphones, you can simply play your favorite songs on your TV or phone, before you and your friends sing along happily in the living room.
paint and drink
Even if you and your girls don't have any painting experience, arts and crafts can still be a fun party activity. It can also be relatively inexpensive with the help of some blank canvases, which cost less than $15 at most craft stores. From there, you can get a pack of acrylic paint for you and your guests, before creating whatever painting you like, whether it's just a bunch of red hearts or a portrait of your friends.
You can also add some wine, cocktails, beer, or any alcoholic beverage of your choice, introducing a fun night of painting and sipping to your party.
make fondue
While a box of chocolates is a popular gift for couples on Valentine's Day, your Galentine's Day plans can go even further. More specifically, you and your girls could choose to melt some chocolate yourselves, resulting in a fondue night. Some of the treats you can pair with the dip range from beloved strawberries to marshmallows, pretzels, and cookies.
For a more flavorful treat, you can also melt some cheese for fondue night. When choosing those classic cheeses – such as gouda, Swiss or Gruyére – to melt, you can combine them with snacks such as carrots, bread, celery, broccoli or tortilla chips.
Spa day
Often, a girls' trip to a nice spa can be quite expensive. So why not bring some of the comforts of a spa to your Galentine's Day party? A favorite activity for a cozy night in is facial masks, the products of which are used to hydrate, purify or soothe the skin. On Amazon, you can buy a 10-pack of masks for just $26.
The evening can also consist of other spa-themed activities, such as at-home manicures and pedicures. To keep your budget in mind, you can ask your friends to bring their own polish before painting their nails.
Write Galentine's Day Cards
(Getty Images)
Although you may have already planned to write something special for your partner on Valentine's Day, you can also extend that gift to your friends. Depending on how many close friends you have at your Galentine's Day party, you can write a letter to each of them, describing all the things you appreciate about your best friend and your friends.
Ultimately, the activity means that no one will go home empty, as everyone will receive a card from each person at the party.
