It’s that time of year again, where couples are showcasing their deepest affection all over social media and single people are cringing at these exaggerated attempts. It seems that you experience Valentine’s Day through either of those lenses. However, the day of love doesn’t have to mean showing or sharing love with a significant other; it can also mean showing your love and appreciation for your friends.
Celebrating Valentine’s Day with your friends is typically knows as Galentine’s Day. While Galentine’s Day is usually thought of women celebrating Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day can be celebrated by both men and women. Also, Galentine’s Day is inclusive to everyone regardless of your relationship status.
Unlike the traditional celebration of Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day does not have an assumed expectation of how the day should be spent. Celebrating with your friends can be as simple as hanging out with each other and eating take-out. No overpriced flowers and chocolate required.
Even if you are in a relationship and have Valentine’s Day plans you can still celebrate Galentine’s Day the day before, which is when it is usually celebrated. It is important to not only show your significant other love and affect, but also your friends. Being in a relationship offers countless opportunities to show that person how much you love and appreciate them. But there really isn’t a day where you are able to tell your friends how much you appreciate them and care for them.
Celebrating Galentine’s Day allows you to tell that person who you’ve known and who has been there for you that they are a special person in your life. Your relationship with your friends will probably last longer than your intimate relationship and will have a special meaning that your intimate relationship doesn’t. So why not celebrate that friendship in addition to your intimate relationship?
This year, instead of stressing about the expectations of a romantic date night or hiding out in your room to avoid seeing florid displays of affection, go out with your friends and revel in your friendship. If you are an engaged couple, there isn’t a need to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a traditional and cliche way. Ladies, you got the ring, and fellas, she said yes. There isn’t a need to make a big impression. If you are married, then you have probably not only professed your love but also made lifelong promises to each other about that love. Therefore, celebrating Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be an extravagant occasion because ideally you’d be showing your husband or wife how special and loved they are every day.
Valentine’s Day isn’t for everyone, but Galentine’s Day can be. This year show your friends some love and spend time with them. After all y’all have been through both of you deserve to have a day where you can tell one another how glad you are that they are in your life.
