Celebrated the day before Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day is far superior to the holiday that follows it. All about ditching romance and cupid, Galentine’s is a holiday for the girls that celebrates female friendship and girlhood. Though it’s an annually observed holiday in my household, I’ve found some people are in the dark about its existence and superiority. Here is my contribution to society by educating you on the best ways to celebrate Galentine’s Day. 

First, we must celebrate our patron saint, Leslie Knope, of the sitcom, Parks and Recreation, the creator of Galentine’s Day. Played by Amy Poehler, Leslie celebrates this holiday in Season 2 Episode 16 of the show by inviting all her friends to brunch and gifting them each a bouquet of hand-crocheted flower pens, a mosaic of them made of their favorite diet soda, and a 5,000-word essay on why she thinks they are awesome. The holiday makes an appearance in several other episodes and fans of the show began to celebrate it in real life. And so the annual tradition of Galentine’s Day began. 

So how does one celebrate Galentine’s Day? The answer is simple—however you and your girlfriends see fit. Galentine’s Day is a mindset. Regardless of the day you choose to celebrate, as long as you take time for your friends, you’ve done it right. Some ideas I love are shopping sprees or breakfast/brunch. For the introverts out there, you can never go wrong with a movie night and some face masks. Personally, the ladies of my family always watch the Galentine’s Parks and Rec episode with lots of breakfast food and little gifts. 

Now for my opinion that I firmly believe in: Galentine’s Day is much better than Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day NEVER works out in the long term. Without even mentioning the commercialization of the holiday by big corporations, Valentine’s Day is an excuse for boyfriends to give gifts and treat their girlfriends right for just one day and not the whole year. Valentine’s Day is ruined by the predictability of the acts, compared to the surprise of flowers or candy on a random day that brings so much more joy. Galentine’s Day is the only occasion for girls to appreciate girls. It’s a time for you and your best friends to share the joy of femininity. So put on your favorite chick flicks and eat some waffles because as Leslie Knope herself says, “It’s only the best day of the year.”