Let's Go, Girls—Enjoy These 50 Epic Ways to Celebrate Galentine's Day!
February 13 is one of the most anticipated days of the year—and no, that’s not a mistype. Sure, the 14th is all about valentines and heart candies and romantic relationships, but the day before is a celebration of female friendships everywhere—it’s Galentine’s Day! And we have not one, not five, but 50 epic ways to celebrate a Happy Galentine’s Day in 2024!
What is Galentine’s Day?
Made famous by Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope in the TV series Parks and Recreation, this fictional holiday has gained a lot of traction in the real world ever since the initial “Galentine’s Day” episode aired in 2010. And as Leslie describes it, “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.”
No matter what your relationship status, the bond you have with your besties is something none of us should ever take for granted. Catchy sayings like “uteruses-before-duderuses” and “ovaries before brovaries” summarize this holiday well, and remind us that the women in our lives deserve to be honored and revered!
Related: 50 Galentine’s Day Gifts She’ll Love
When is Galentine’s Day 2024?
This year, it’s celebrated on Wednesday, February 13, 2024.
What to do on Galentine’s Day
Check out our list of 50 epic ways to celebrate Galentine’s Day, and then call up your girlfriends to book an unforgettable trip, organize a yearly tradition, set up a virtual lunch date—whatever catches your eye!
Related: Celebrate Your Soul Sisters with These 100 Galentine’s Day Instagram Caption Ideas
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50 Ideas to Celebrate Galentine’s Day
1. Schedule a Weekend Staycation
Save those vacation days for your next girls' trip and enjoy your local area with your close buds by making time to savor all of your favorite places. We’re talking a day (or two!) of no work, no stress, appreciation of what’s around you, and making endless memories together!
2. Trade off on Being the Hostess With the Mostest
Kick off an epic celebration within your "bubble" by creating a schedule of upcoming meet-ups that all involve switching locations and hostesses. Whether you hit multiple spots in the same week, make it a monthly rotation, or set it up for every couple of months or so, each friend will have a chance to host the rest of the group with their own style/flair!
Related: Galentine's Day Movies
3. Book Exchange
Gather up books that you won’t mind giving away for someone else to enjoy, and either start sending them out to each other every month or so, or plan a Zoom party on the 13th to facilitate the festivities if you're not able to coordinate schedules in person. Keep the book covers all visible, or make it more of a game by wrapping them up in kraft paper with limited descriptive clues written on the outside and have participants pick the ones they'd like packaged up and mailed over!
4. Dinner Out
Make a reservation at one of your fave restaurants and plan on being out for a while catching up on life, splitting dessert, and hearing countless times: “We have to do this more often!” And, especially after these chaotic couple of years, you sure do!
Related: Hilarious Galentine's Day Memes
5. Homemade Hot Cocoa Bombs
Get ready to take on the popular TikTok trend of creating hot chocolate bombs together, but in your separate kitchens. Make sure everyone has their ingredients ahead of time, then enjoy making these mugs of magic and sweet memories with your Galentine gang!
6. Virtual "Bar Crawl"
Do you have a group of friends who are located all over the country, and can't get together like you used to on Galentine's Day? Make it an event to remember by setting aside a few hours to video chat and throw some drinks back with your long-distance buds. Better yet, have everyone get the same variety of canned cocktails for minimal effort and maximum fun! While it won't be a true bar crawl, at least you'll be able to crawl to bed easily!
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7. Brunch
For those of you who’d rather celebrate earlier in the day, follow Leslie Knope’s lead with a “breakfast-style” celebration that can most certainly involve both waffles and mimosas.
8. Tea Time
Class it up by stopping by a café for tea or plan your own afternoon tea celebration for your ladies!
9. Cookie Exchange
Who says this tradition can only be during the holidays? Have your friends bake and do a swap of your all-time favorite cookies with each other. Should take care of that sweet tooth before digging into candy hearts and boxes of chocolate!
10. Face Your Fears
We all can use some encouragement and healthy challenges from those who know us best—this could look like agreeing to a wild skydiving or bungee-jumping excursion, or dedicating the holiday to pumping each other up by doing something tamer that still takes guts(!), like applying for that dream job, starting your own newsletter or podcast, or putting a wellness plan in place going forward. Make it your mission to walk away from the day feeling more powerful than ever!
11. Go BIG With Your Gathering
Do your research and see which upcoming conferences/conventions would be a legendary experience for your best buds to experience together—some options include Comic-Con, political rallies, religious events, motivational conferences and more!
12. Shop ‘Til You Drop
Since “shopper’s high” is such a thrill, why not experience it with your favorite ladies?! Get an early start to the day, and hit all of your go-to stores.
13. Baking or Cooking In
For those of you who can stand the heat, make it your point of celebration! Whether you’re a huge fan of The Great British Baking Show, an Ina Garten admirer, or just love playing with recipes new and old, grab your fellow food lovers and have a blast creating something delicious together!
14. Favorite Things Exchange
You know those small but mighty things you’re obsessed with and want everyone to know about? Think cozy camp socks, the perfect lipstick, a trio of stacking rings you get tons of compliments on, etc. Well, have your girlfriends all purchase two duplicates of their fave thing (can stick to a budget of under a certain amount of $$), and then everyone who participates will walk away with two new treasures they’ll be sure to fall in love with too!
15. Listening Party
Whether there's an album you're all obsessed with, a specific artist you *stan*, or you all take turns making Spotify playlists exactly for this purpose, sharing music and having a listening party is one way to keep bringing great vibes into 2024!
16. Start That Book Club
You’ve talked about it long enough—pick the first book and get the gathering on the calendar.
17. Fancy Night In
Whether you invite everyone over, or have everyone set up bar carts in their households for a kind of virtual speakeasy, you’ll be #squadgoals with your glammed-up girls.
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18. Throw a Goddess Party
Goddess parties are all about celebrating milestones in women’s lives. Focusing on support and sharing inspiration with other ladies, this get-together is rooted in female empowerment—perfect for Galentine’s Day!
19. Take a Class
Whether it’s an online cooking, an in-person crafting, painting or yoga class, or even learning a language, you can take a class in anything you’d consider yourself a newbie at. Not only will you have a ton of laughs and fun if you sign up for these with friends, you’ll also (hopefully) learn how to use some new skills!
20. Plan a Female Family Reunion
Put a call on the calendar to "get together" with all the women from various generations in your family. Not only should it be easier to have a reunion without having to coordinate one location, but quality time spent with everyone outside of the holidays should give you all amazing opportunities to learn more about each other’s life experiences and appreciate all of the new stories and insight you’ll walk away with!
21. Commit to a Themed-Day
This will take some serious dedication and fanfare, but will yield awesome results for anyone who shares a TV or movie obsession with their best friends! Plan a day where everything (outfits, food, decor, activities) revolves around your show or flick. For example: Consider yourselves long-lost Gilmore Girls sisters? Set up a coffee station with “Luke’s” logo everywhere, watch one of the GG‘s favorite movies (Casablanca, anyone?), and give out Gilmore Girls-themed gifts (like one of Rory’s beloved books) as party favors. Or do it social distance style and have everyone watch the same movies at the same time!
22. Coffee Shop Conversations
Sometimes the best place to truly catch up and reconnect with each other is over a couple of comforting cups of joe at a nearby café. Set it up at a spot with indoor dining, or grab the coffees to go, and prepare to pick back up right where you left off!
23. Empower Each Other
Spend the day group-texting your favorite women’s empowerment quotes back and forth, send letters of appreciation out to the ladies in your life (if you’re like Leslie Knope, you’ll personalize 5,000-word essays of why your friends are all so awesome), or anything that will remind your buds just how strong, resilient, and capable they really are!
24. Support Women-Owned Businesses
Bring your Galentine’s celebration to the streets (or sites) by first researching women-led ventures, and then shopping in-person or online to support them!
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25. Have an Old School Sleepover
Pull out your old yearbooks, put on face masks, grab nail polish and magazines (while playing either Truth or Dare or Would You Rather?), get some pizza bagels in the oven, and enjoy a night that’s a total blast from the past!
26. Outfit Swap
We’ve all coveted something our friend owns, so instead of initially turning to Facebook Marketplace, Mercari, or another online selling site, turn to your besties first! Either plan a get-together (or create a private FB group) where everyone brings over (or posts pics of) shoes, accessories and clothing that they’ve been wanting to clear out for a fun exchange!
27. Social Media Plugs
Many of us are connected with entrepreneurial buds who seem to do it all—including side hustles (or main hustles!) like photography, essential oils, blogging, Etsy businesses, graphic design and more. Use Galentine’s Day as a perfect excuse to celebrate and promote one another on social media—they’ll be sure to appreciate the exposure and the support!
28. IOU Coupons/Offers
Make a grand gesture in the form of a non-negotiable offer to watch each other’s kids/pets/homes for an extended period of time—allowing your friend(s) to either get out of the house guilt-free, or at least head to a different part of the house for some self-care (a couple of you could even tag-team this proposal)!
29. Get Ready to Make Magical Memories at Disney
What’s better than a trip to “The Happiest Place on Earth? Whether it's just for the girls (who isn’t loving the throwbacks on Disney+?) or your entire families, invest in each other (and your fams!) by starting the planning process for a Mickey Mouse vacay ASAP!
30. Cookbook Creation
Memorialize your friendship in a truly savory way by creating a personalized cookbook. Handwrite your favorite recipes, add personal details on the pages wherever you see fit, scan them for multiple copies, and compile them all into a cookbook that will not only be passed down to other generations but one that will remind you of the sweet people in your life every time you walk into the kitchen!
31. Ice Skating
Embrace your inner-Elsa and get the gals together on the ice for a seasonal soirée!
32. Sit Back and Binge-Watch
I mean, sometimes the best time with friends involves showing up (or video-calling) with no makeup, wearing sweats and being as lazy as you’d like. Spend a super-chill day parked on the couch in front of the TV, and get through a full season of a new show, or revisit a new one—the point is, there doesn’t need to be structure or rules as long as you’re together!
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33. DIY Day
Scrapbooking, creating letter board signs, and making your own soy wax candles are just a few of the many group craft DIY projects you can choose for a creative day in!
34. Plan on Booking a Cruise
It might be too last minute to book a cruise for this Feb. 13, but that doesn't mean you can't make a plan this Galentine's Day for down the road (maybe for someone's upcoming milestone birthday or next Galentine's Day)! Notoriously affordable (especially with the inclusive deals), this is one vacay that the ladies should be all aboard—oops—all about.
Related: 40 Best Girls' Trip Ideas
35. Get Out on the Trails
If spending the night in a tent under the stars sounds better than staying at a hotel, if you’re constantly longing to be an active participant in nature (or if you're honestly just ready to get out of the house!), keep that outdoorsy spirit alive when settling on your next girls' trip for Galentine's Day. There are so many options throughout the year, including renting a yurt, staying at a gorgeous campsite or treehouse, taking an RV out to various National Parks and more. Plan out your next trip in honor of Galentine’s Day, and get ready to put on those hiking boots and backpacks with like-minded friends!
36. Specialty Shopping
You’ve seen it done on The Office during “Women’s Appreciation Day,” when Michael Scott brings the ladies of Dunder Mifflin to the mall, and then they all pick something out at Victoria’s Secret. Browsing around for some cute lingerie (or cozy robes!), and getting instant feedback from your closest friends is like a chill bachelorette party where everyone gets to be celebrated!
37. Rock Out at a Concert
See who's performing and book it! It can be your favorite band of all time or a new, local group! Any night out with music is a good night out.
38. FaceTime the Whole Group
Sometimes schedules really are just too chaotic, and getting everyone together—even via video call—is difficult to make happen. So get this on the books ASAP, setting aside at least a small bit of time to get a group FaceTime call in on Galentine's Day, and enjoy having some intentional convos with the whole gang face-to-face (even from afar)!
39. Live Out Literal #Goals
Whether you're able to score tix for a basketball or hockey game, set plans for a different sport's season later in the year, or have an epic group text going while all tuning into the game via TV, cheering on your team (or having some friendly rivalry) will show that while spending time together, everyone wins!
40. Spa Day
Beat the winter woes through relaxation, rejuvenation and plenty of pampering. Between facials, manicures, massages, hair treatments and more, treating yourself will be even better with your girlfriends. Call ahead to see if your go-to salon or spa has group options during this time, and then enjoy a different kind of face mask for a change!
Related: These 54 Valentine’s Day Gifts for Kids Will Make ‘Em Go Heart-Eyed
41. Wine Tasting
Sip, sip, hooray! Gather up your fave winos and spend this special holiday at a tasting room where you can try a little of everything and walk away with not only a couple of bottles to add to your collection, but maybe even a new go-to drink as well! Prefer to stay in? Pick out a couple of bottles for each friend to have on hand and toss those glasses back!
42. Hit the Slopes
Grab your skis and/or snowboards and take advantage of the winter season outdoors by taking a day trip to a mountain resort with your fellow snow buddies!
43. Game Night
Get into the competitive spirit for a super-fun game night with the gals! With options like The Settlers of Catan, Cards Against Humanity, Monopoly, etc., the possibilities for play are endless. How about a Wordle challenge, anyone?
44. Volunteer Together
Make a difference in your community with your besties as you give back through volunteer work and acts of kindness. Acts like donating blood and bringing food to healthcare workers have a positive, significant impact.
45. Visit a Museum
There are SO many artsy and unique museums all around that you ladies can check out locally, or plan a trip around—the Museum of Dog in Massachusetts, the Museum of Sex in New York, the Dalí Museum in Florida and the Salem Witch Trials Museum in Salem, MA just to name a few!
46. Check Out a Show
Whether it’s a stage production or someone’s stand-up you stream online, or a captivating YouTube video essay, the talent on the screens will be sure to inspire your group and give you a memorable viewing experience! Or you can check out what local comedy and improv companies are doing on February 13 and take your gal pals there!
47. Unwind With a Retreat
This year especially, many of us are looking for ways to relax. While there are plenty of retreats out there that focus on silence, yoga, and more, it might be tricky to find a location, date or vibe that you're all interested in. So, make plans for a future weekend, or better yet, create your own retreat together by all prioritizing the same self-care and calming activities at home!
48. Get Movin’ With a Fitness Class
Nothing creates a strong bond like a strong core. Make a pact to spend a good portion of Galentine's Day building up accountability and some abs—ha! Check out YouTube for some strength exercises, a spin class, a trampoline workout—whatever it takes to get your blood and endorphins pumping!
49. Head Out on a Road Trip
One of the best times to create memories is while traveling. So, why not make that the main event?
50. Start a new show together
Finally, binge a show you've all been eagerly anticipating!
Next up? The best Galentine’s Day gifts!
