“What’s Galentine’s Day? Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and we just come and kick it breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies.” -Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation)
Eight years ago, NBC’s Parks and Recreation aired one of its most famous episodes: “Galentine’s Day.” Though the episode received positive reviews, there’s no doubt the show writers couldn’t have expected the term “Galentine’s” to become a legitimate tradition for so many.
It seems that Galentine’s could be needed now more than ever. The day encourages women to celebrate themselves and their female friends.
Over the past few months, hundreds of women have stepped forward and opened up about their experiences of abuse, assault, heartache and unfair treatment. As a woman, I find that with each horrific story that comes out, there stands another brave and unshrinking woman behind it.
And, holy shit, do we ever need to celebrate that.
“[Girlfriends] have always been there for me, no matter what,” says Erika Dubash, an Algonquin College advertising and marketing communications grad. “I know they always will be. It’s important that they know how important they are.”
How often do we tell the women in our lives how important they are to us? How often do we even stop to think about how important they are?
Hollie Knapp-Fisher, the communications coordinator at Utilities Kingston, is planning to attend her third Galentine’s party this Feb.13. “The first year we got together and did a bit of a paint night,” she says. ‘We all decorated wine glasses, ordered pizza and just used the time to catch up. The second year, we did a love-themed potluck and watched a chick flick.”
“I think that like any party you need to have the three essentials: food, drinks and games,” says Algonquin College photography graduate, Maryse Pantalone.
Beyond the glasses of wine, the empty pizza boxes, the drunken laughter and the (occasional) “Uteruses before Duderuses” poster, there is a deep love that underlines this unique and important day we don’t often take time to embrace.
Originally meant to be a spoof on Valentine’s Day, I like to think that if Leslie Knope could see the evolution of her own Galentine’s Day, she would be proud.
“It’s easy to take your friends for granted in the busy lives we live, so Galentine’s just give us a day totally assigned to celebrating our lovely lady friends,” says Knapp-Fisher.