Celebrate Galentine's Day 2024: Pics, Quotes, Outfit Ideas & More

Galentine’s Day 2024 falls on Tuesday, February 13th. This fun holiday was conceived by the hit TV show Parks and Recreation as a day to celebrate female friendships. Galentine’s Day provides the perfect excuse to gather your favorite gals for a delightful girls day out filled with food, fun, and friendship.

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know to celebrate Galentine’s Day 2024 in style. We’ll cover the history and background of this unofficial holiday, Galentine’s Day ideas like decor, activities, gifts, food and more!

What is Galentine’s Day?

Galentine’s Day is an unofficial holiday that takes place on February 13th as a celebration of female friendships. The concept originated in 2010 from the sitcom Parks and Recreation.

In an episode written by series creator Michael Schur, Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) invites her female friends to a brunch party on February 13th to exchange thoughtful gifts and celebrate each other. Leslie deemed the holiday “Galentine’s Day” and said it’s “like Lilith Fair, minus the angst – plus frittatas!”

Since its TV debut, Galentine’s Day has steadily grown in popularity as a real-life event for women. It provides the perfect excuse to gather your closest girlfriends and show your appreciation for the special women in your life.

When is Galentine’s Day 2024?

In 2024, Galentine’s Day falls on Tuesday, February 13th.
It always takes place on February 13th each year.
The holiday purposely falls the day before Valentine’s Day as a celebration of female friendship before romantic relationships.

Galentine’s Day History & Background

2010 – Galentine’s Day was conceived for an episode of Parks and Recreation written by series creator Michael Schur. The character Leslie Knope hosts a brunch party for her female friends and declares February 13th as the official holiday.
2011 – Popularity grew thanks to continued Parks and Rec episodes featuring Galentine’s Day celebrations and Leslie’s love for the holiday.
2012-present – Galentine’s Day started catching on in real life, with more women hosting parties and events for their female friends on February 13th. It’s now widely celebrated across social media and popular culture.
2021 – Amidst the pandemic, Galentine’s Day was bigger than ever on social media, with many virtual parties and celebrations.
2024 – This year, the holiday is expected to be widely embraced and celebrated as in-person Galentine’s Day parties make a comeback post-pandemic!

Why Do We Celebrate Galentine’s Day?

There are several excellent reasons why Galentine’s Day has become a popular holiday to celebrate friendship among women:

Recognizes the power of female friendship – The bonds between girlfriends should be uplifted and celebrated!
Chance to make female friends feel loved & appreciated – It’s the perfect opportunity to make your amazing lady friends feel special.
Celebrates women supporting each other – There’s power in bringing women together in a spirit of unity and mutual support.
Fosters inclusiveness – Galentine’s Day is for all awesome ladies to join in recognizing one another.
Fun alternative to Valentine’s Day – It provides a fun twist on traditional Valentine’s Day focused on female friendship instead of romantic love.
Excuse to gather girlfriends – It gives women everywhere an excuse to gather their favorite girls for a fun day out!

Galentine’s Day Celebration Ideas & Activities

There are so many fun ways to celebrate Galentine’s Day 2024 with your favorite females. Here are some popular Galentine’s Day party ideas and activities:

Galentine’s Day Party Ideas

Brunch party – Gather for a special Galentine’s Day themed brunch. Include festive decor, flowers, cute treats, mimosas and bellinis!
Spa day – Plan a relaxing spa trip together. Get massages, facials, mani/pedis and enjoy the therapeutic atmosphere.
Games night – Host a game night filled with classic board and video games, trivia, karaoke, and cocktails.
Crafting session – Get creative with DIY crafts like flower arranging, painting, jewelry making, card making, or decorative pillows.
Cocktail/wine tasting – Sample various wines, cocktails, or mocktails together from a themed menu.
Cooking class – Learn new recipes and cooking techniques side-by-side during a hands-on cooking class.

Galentine’s Day Activities

Exchange thoughtful Galentine’s Day gifts
Make personalized Galentine’s Day cards for each lady
Play classic Galentine’s Day games and icebreakers
Take group photos in a Galentine’s Day-themed photobooth
Share favorite memories and stories from your friendship
Make vision boards or journals for your goals & dreams
Write “love letters” to each friend about why you appreciate them
Decorate cookies, cupcakes or cake pops with icing and sprinkles
Give Galentine’s Day themed awards or superlatives to each friend

Galentine’s Day Party Food Ideas

Brunch classics like mini quiches, macarons, crepes, avocado toast
Themed sweets like heart-shaped cookies, cupcakes, cake pops
Fresh fruit arrangements, parfaits, fruit skewers with dip
French toast casserole, breakfast sliders, breakfast tacos
Mimosas, bellinis, rose spritzers
Charcuterie grazing boards with cheeses, cured meats, nuts, jams

Galentine’s Day Decor Ideas

Balloons, banners, streamers, signs with Galentine’s Day messages
Flowers like roses, tulips, daisies, gerbera daisies
Place settings with pink tablecloths, napkins, plates, cups
Heart shaped confetti, sequins, or sprinkles to decorate
Photos or polaroids together in picture frames
Tea light candles, string lights, lamps with pink shades

Galentine’s Day Outfit Ideas

Part of the fun of Galentine’s Day is dressing up with your girlfriends! Here are some popular Galentine’s Day outfit ideas:

Wear pink or red – Opt for pretty shades like blush, mauve, fuchsia, cherry, scarlet – anything goes!
Coordinates – Match with your BFFs in complementing dresses, tops + skirts/pants, jumpsuits, or coverups.
Twinning – Take it up a notch by wearing identical Galentine’s Day shirts or outfits.
Dressy separates – Pair a festive top with dress pants or a fun skirt.
Casual chic – Nice jeans with heels and a jacket can work for a more low-key vibe.
Themed tees – Wear a cute graphic tee with a Galentine’s Day slogan across the front.
Dresses – Pretty floral dresses or casual shirtdresses capture the feminine spirit.
Rompers or jumpsuits – These one-pieces exude a fun, flirty vibe.
Dressier tops – Valentine-ish camis, off the shoulder tops, lacey blouses, satin shirts.
Statement accessories – Heart earrings or necklaces, flower crowns, pink hats, hair clips.

Galentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Exchanging small tokens of appreciation is a quintessential part of Galentine’s Day. Here are thoughtful gift ideas to make your BFFs feel special:

Galentine’s Day Gift Baskets

Spa gift basket with lotions, soap, face masks, scented candles
Movie night gift basket with wine, popcorn, candy, fuzzy blankets
Coffee gift basket with mugs, coffee, chocolate, biscotti, gift card
Brunch gift basket with mixes for pancakes, mimosas, jam, honey, bakery treats
Game night gift basket with wine, cards, puzzles, snacks, lottery tickets

Personalized Galentine’s Gifts

Monogrammed makeup bags, robes, slippers, clutch, keychain, tumbler
Custom jewelry with first initial, birthstone, zodiac sign
Photo gifts like calendars, albums, canvases, mugs printed with friend pics
Embroidered hats, tote bags, sweatshirts with an inside joke or funny quote

Galentine’s Day Cards & Invitations

Sending cute cards is a fun way to celebrate your gal pals on Galentine’s Day. Here are some ideas for cards and invitations:

Galentine’s Day Card Ideas

Store-bought cards with feminist themes or positive friendship messages
Pop culture cards featuring favorite TV shows, movies, or books you both love
DIY crafts like cardmaking, origami, pressed flowers
Stylish e-cards or digital designs to send virtually
Heartfelt handwritten notes expressing why you appreciate your friend
Greeting cards you create yourself on your computer or tablet device
Glittery, girly, boldly colored cards capturing the festive spirit
Photo cards featuring highlights of your friendship and time together

Galentine’s Day Invitation Ideas

Set the tone for your Galentine’s Day soiree with cute invitations!

Paperless digital invites via email, social media, or Evite
Snail mail invites with photos, stickers, washi tape, poems inside
Brunch-themed invites with illustrations of pancakes, waffles, coffee
Watercolor floral invites featuring roses, tulips, daisies
Pink invites with foil stamping, embossing, glitter
Postcard-style invites with quirky collages or custom artwork
“Galentine’s Day” song playlist invites to share digitally before the event
Heart-shaped invitations with laser cutting or craft punches
Laced, beribboned invites sealed with wax stamps

Galentine’s Day Quotes, Messages & Poems

Want some inspiration for Galentine’s cards? These quotes and poems perfectly capture the spirit of Galentine’s Day sisterhood.

Galentine’s Day Quotes

“There is no better friend than a sister, and there is no better sister than you.” – Anonymous
“A single rose can be my garden, a single friend, my world.” – Leo Buscaglia
“There are no better cosmetics than a lifelong friend.” – Susan B. Anthony
“Friendship isn’t a big thing. It’s a million little things.” – Unknown
“Friendship isn’t about who you’ve known the longest. It’s about who walked into your life and said ‘I’m here for you’ and proved it.” – Anonymous
“Female friendships are a lifeline.” – Melissa Bank

Galentine’s Day Poems

Roses are red, Violets are blue, I don’t know what I’d do, Without a friend as sweet as you!

The buds of spring blossom, The flowers bloom, My life is brightened, By my friends in the room.

Laughter and joy, Are a perfect blend, For making memories, With my galentine friend.

A circle of sisterhood, A gift for each day, Companions to share stories, And toast the day away!

Bonds tightly woven, Hearts intertwined, Loyal and loving friends, Of the lifelong kind.

How to Celebrate Galentine’s Day

From parties to gift exchanges, here are top tips for celebrating Galentine’s Day 2024 with your favorite ladies:

Plan a Galentine’s Day Party

Host a brunch, happy hour, spa day, crafting session – whatever suits your crew! Send invites, decorate, create a menu, activities, party favors, music playlist.

Exchange Thoughtful Gifts

Give meaningful galentine gifts like personalized items, gift baskets, pampering treats, framed photos, jewelry, homemade crafts.

Create Galentine’s Cards

Make your own cards or buy unique cards that capture your friendship. Include heartfelt messages about why you appreciate each woman.

Get Dressed Up

Wear pink or red outfits, matching looks, fun accessories. Take glamorous group photos to remember the day.

Toast Your Galentines

Serve up mimosas or rosé and make celebratory toasts highlighting your wonderful friendships.

Share Favorite Memories

Reminisce over fond moments shared together. Reflect on how your friendships have grown.

Indulge in Galentine’s Treats

Whip up pretty pink foods and drinks like cupcakes, macarons, champagne, candy, heart-shaped foods.

Capture Memories Together

Take selfies in a photo booth, Snapchat videos, Boomerangs. Compile photos into a custom Galentine’s Day album.

Galentine’s Day Games & Activities

Incorporate games and activities into your Galentine’s Day plans for added fun:

Galentine’s Day Trivia

Test your knowledge of your friendships with trivia questions about how you met, favorite memories, embarrassing moments, inside jokes and more!

Galentine’s Day Superlatives

Hand out funny superlative awards to each friend like “Most Likely to Get Us All in Trouble”, “Best Advice Giver”, “Life of the Party”.

Galentine’s Day Bingo

Create bingo cards with tasks like “Find someone wearing pink” or memories like “Who snuck out the first time together?” Be the first to get 5 in a row!

Galentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt

Give scavenger hunt lists with tasks like “Take a shot with 3 friends” or “Recreate your first group photo”. Check off tasks to win.

Galentine’s Day Karaoke

Belt out your favorite pop anthems or musical theater duets. Award prizes for top performances.

Galentine’s Day Arts & Crafts

Get crafty with DIY projects like flower crowns, tie dye, vision boards, friendship bracelets, customized frames, nail art.

Galentine’s Day Cocktail Making

Learn to make festive cocktails together like sugar rimmed Cosmos, pink lemonade champagne, and rose spritzers.

Galentine’s Day Brunch Ideas

A brunch bash is the quintessential way to celebrate Galentine’s Day. Here are delicious ideas:

Galentine’s Day Brunch Menu Ideas

Pancakes or waffles topped with fruit, chocolate, syrup in pink hues
Quiche Lorraine, veggie egg white frittatas, stratas
Crepes with strawberries, nutella, whipped cream
Avocado toast with trendy toppings like bacon, eggs, salsa
Parfaits with yogurt, granola, fresh berries
Mimosas, bellinis, rose spritzers, pink lemonade champagne
Coffee, espresso drinks with foamed milk hearts
Tea sandwiches, chicken salad in heart shaped croissants

Galentine’s Day Brunch Decor

Flowers like peonies, roses, carnations, tulips on the tables
Heart confetti, sequins, or sprinkles
Pink tablecloths, napkins, plates, mugs
Balloons attached to chairs
Photos or polaroids of your friend group displayed
Cute Galentine’s Day signage and banners

Galentine’s Day Themed Treats & Sweets

Sweeten up your Galentine’s Day with cute desserts and candy in pretty pink hues:

Heart-shaped pink sugar cookies
Pink velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
Macarons in shades like blush, petal pink, cherry blossom
Lady finger cookies
Candy bark layered with white and pink chocolate
Marshmallows skewered onto fruit kabobs
Cake pops dipped in pink chocolate
Pink candy like gumdrops, lollipops, salt water taffy
Donuts topped with sprinkles
Strawberry champagne gummy bears
Yogurt covered pretzels

Galentine’s Day Movies to Watch

After your Galentine’s Day celebrations, keep the fun going with a girls movie night! Cue up these classics:

Bridesmaids – Hilarious comedy about a bride and her eccentric bridesmaids
Mamma Mia – Feel good musical featuring the songs of ABBA
Pitch Perfect – A cappella delight about an all-female singing group
Mean Girls – Comedy depicting high school cliques and teen drama
Steel Magnolias – Heartwarming portrayal of strong female friendship
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants – Charming adaptation of the book series about best friends
The Help – Dramatic yet uplifting story of women uniting to create change
9 to 5 – Workplace comedy starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin
Fried Green Tomatoes – Nostalgic film about a close friendship between two women
Girls Trip – Fun, outrageous comedy about a group of friends on vacation

Galentine’s Day Memes & Social Media

Galentine’s Day is full of potential for fun and festive social media posts! Get your gals together and create some memorable content.

Galentine’s Day Memes

Create your own memes using apps like Canva with inside jokes, friendship references
Share memes about wine, brunch, treats, girls night out
Find reaction gifs celebrating female friendship like the Golden Girls, Parks & Rec

DIY Boomerangs

Use the Boomerang app to make mini videos of your gals clinking glasses, toasting, laughing.

Galentine’s Day Instagram Captions

“Squad goals.”
“Galentine’s Day is my favorite day of the year!”
“You had me at ‘ladies night’.”
“This is what dreams are made of.”
“Champagne for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends.” – Parks & Rec
“Empowered women, empower women.”
“She is clothed in strength and dignity.”

Galentine’s Day Hashtags

#GalentinesDay
#LadyLove
#GirlsJustWannaHaveFun
#SisterhoodOfTheTravelingPantsuit
#ExcuseMeMissButThatGlowAintFromHighlight

Galentine’s Day Instagram Photo Ideas

DIY photo booth with props like hats, boas, signs
Themed cocktails or cupcakes
Pretty table settings
Matching outfits or accessories
Making toasts together
Funny candid group shots
Goofy jumping pics
Blowing kisses at the camera

Galentine’s Day Snapchat Filter Ideas

Flower crown filters
Pink sparkly filters
Brunch stickers like waffles, coffee
Friendship quote stickers
Lipstick mark kisses
Cheers glasses clinking together

Conclusion

Galentine’s Day provides the perfect excuse to show your closest friends how much you care. In the spirit of beloved Parks and Recreation character Leslie Knope, gather your favorite females to celebrate each other with thoughtful gifts, fun parties, pampering treats, and quality bonding time.

With some pink decorations, tasty nibbles, and festive activities, you can host a delightful Galentine’s Day soiree showing your fellow ladies just how special they are. May your Galentine’s Day be filled with love, laughter and friendship!

Galentine’s Day FAQs

Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about Galentine’s Day origins, celebrations, and more:

Who created Galentine’s Day?

Galentine’s Day was created for a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation by series writer, producer and creator Michael Schur.

When did Galentine’s Day start?

The first celebration of Galentine’s Day was in February 2010 on the show. It began catching on as a real-life holiday in 2011 and gained popularity through the 2010s.

What happens on Galentine’s Day?

Typical Galentine’s Day celebrations involve gathering with your closest girlfriends for parties with food, drinks, games, crafts, pampering treats and quality bonding.

Do you get gifts for Galentine’s Day?

Exchanging small gifts is common, like baked goods, flowers, personalized items, gift cards or gift baskets with pampering treats. The gifts don’t need to be expensive – it’s the thought that counts!

What are some Galentine’s Day ideas?

Popular ways to celebrate include brunch parties, crafting sessions, spa trips, games nights, wine/cocktail tastings, bouquet making workshops, karaoke parties and movie marathons.

Who celebrates Galentine’s Day?

Galentine’s Day is celebrated by women of all ages, backgrounds and relationship statuses. It’s for appreciating female friendships, sisterhoods, coworkers, relatives and any wonderful women in your life.

Is Galentine’s Day only for women?

Yes, Galentine’s Day is specifically intended to celebrate female friendship. However, there are some similar concepts like “palentines” or “guys night” for male friendship bonding.

Why do we celebrate Galentine’s Day?

It’s a chance to celebrate how much your female friends mean to you. The day recognizes the value of female friendship, emphasizing the importance of women supporting each other year-round.

Is Galentine’s Day an official holiday?

Galentine’s Day is not an officially recognized public holiday. However, it has become a widely celebrated unofficial holiday, especially among women.

How can I celebrate Galentine’s Day virtually?

If you can’t physically get together, have a virtual Galentine’s Day via video chat! You can exchange e-cards, deliver goodie bags safely, have everyone eat themed treats on camera, play games remotely and toast your gals.