Lilah Birdyshaw ‘26, News Editor
Complementing Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day is an unofficial holiday residing on Feb. 13 that centers on celebrating the friendships that do not always get the recognition they deserve. The holiday was made popular by a Parks and Recreation episode, where protagonist Leslie Knope gathers her friends together to show them how much she appreciates them. Students also have many ways to celebrate and express their love for the holiday.
Much like its romantic counterpart, Galentine’s Day staples include gifts, meals, flowers, chocolates, and hearts—except these are shared amongst friend groups, rather than romantic partners. Traditionally, Galentine’s Day is for the “gals” to show their love for each other, but guys are always more than welcome to celebrate.
Although romantic relationships are an important aspect for many people, platonic relationships are undoubtedly crucial for a well-rounded life. Catherine Bagwell, a professor of psychology at Davidson College in North Carolina said, “For [a group of college students], their relationships with their friends and peers were quite significant in predicting how they were doing, both academically and in terms of their emotional adjustment.” Therefore, Galentine’s Day serves as the perfect opportunity to show love and appreciation to the friends who simply enrich life.
At SLHS—and probably at most high schools—healthy friendships are what gets students through hard classes, tests, and other tough situations, so those friendships deserve to be celebrated. Luckily, Galentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year, leaving students with more freedom for fun plans. For instance, senior Stephanie Pérez-Gutierrez plans to decorate heart-shaped cakes with friends from her painting class at SL. Pérez-Gutierrez said, “I want to celebrate with my friends because they are some of my favorite people who I love and care about a lot, and it makes me happy to spend time with them, especially before we all leave for college.”
There are plenty of options for students looking for ways to celebrate Galentine’s Day. Games, meals, crafts, movies, self-care, and more. For example, a creative paint-by-number or doing a bracelet exchange—with lots of chocolate, of course—can be fun bonding activities for friend groups this Galentine’s Day. Senior Riley Fisher plans to celebrate Galentine’s Day with her friends by “sharing a meal and doing festive games and crafts.”
In all, Galentine’s Day is an exciting opportunity to celebrate friendship, especially for high school students. Even if Feb. 13 has passed, it is never too late to show loved ones that they are appreciated.
Lyon Life 