Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching, which means love is in the air. While romantic love is prioritized during this season, it is important to remember that love comes in all forms. The societal hierarchy that prioritizes romantic love over platonic love indoctrinates us into believing that romance is exclusively reserved for our partners. This is why Galentine’s Day has become a popular practice among women who wish to appreciate each other. It reminds us that romanticizing our friendships is just as valuable and should be given the same priority as our romantic relationships. Friendships are a core function of our existence, because without the emotional support of community, it can be difficult to navigate life’s hardships. Therefore, going on dates, planning vacations, and building wealth with friends are all romantic gestures and Galentine’s Day ideas that should be practiced throughout the year.
Galentine’s Day Dates
Galentine’s Day is typically celebrated on Feb. 13 to save room for your partner on Valentine’s Day, but it can be honored on any date you and your friends choose based on convenience. Romanticizing your friends by planning intentional dates during this Galentine’s Day is a beautiful way to appreciate your friendships. It can be fun to splurge by dressing up, going to a fancy restaurant, and finally getting drinks at a rooftop bar afterward. Alternatively, if you want to be cost-effective, you can have a staycation at a friend’s home and set the mood with some beautiful décor. This could involve creating a three-course menu as a friend group and preparing it together while sipping on some wine or mocktails. You can also add a beautiful playlist in the background and wear some comfortable pajamas to prepare for a sleepover afterward.
Another thoughtful Galentine’s Day date idea is each friend creating a Galentine’s gift basket for the rest of the group. As friends, you could gather in an intimate space, such as a friend’s house, and exchange the gifts with each other. You can make it more intimate by having each friend say what they love about the person being centered and repeat the process for everyone. The process of affirming your friends is a beautiful reminder of the value they bring to your life.
Galentine’s Day Vacation
As you get older, setting intentional time aside for friendships is necessary; it’s harder to maintain regular hangouts due to the tiring process of adulting creating time constraints. Having a beautiful vacation with your friends for Galentine’s Day is a relaxing way to romanticize and strengthen your bond by reconnecting away from daily distractions. Vacations should be planned ahead of time to ensure everyone’s finances are in order, especially for international destinations. To avoid the hassle of planning and logistics, you can book a vacation package, such as a cruise or all-inclusive resort.
Something more short notice and attainable for a Galentine’s getaway may be a road trip, within your state or a reasonable driving distance out of state, enjoying a camping trip in the woods or booking an Airbnb cottage. A getaway in the woods is a beautiful way to get off the grid and not only enjoy each other’s company, but also immerse yourself in nature. If you and your friend group are homebodies, then having a staycation is encouraged and makes for easier planning.
Galentine’s Day Investments
Romanticizing your friendships goes beyond hanging out and having fun; investing in each other by building wealth and sharing resources is also important. Asking for help in friendships can be difficult due to shame or insecurity, so cultivating a space of exchanging resources will create more intimacy in the friend group. A simple way to invest in your friendships this Galentine’s Day is making a home-cooked meal together and normalizing this practice regularly. This could also look like recycling clothing, shoes, or jewelry that are no longer used amongst each other. Having a free friendship market and giving away resources that could benefit your friends is a sustainable way to save money and materially uplift each other.
Sustaining long-term friendships requires intentional investment mentally, emotionally, physically, and materially. This requires taking time out of your busy schedule to check in with your friends and catch up on their lives, especially because technology allows us to maintain long-distance relationships. Beyond Galentine’s day, building healthy, long-term, and sustainable friendships by romanticizing your friends is helpful to keep the spark in your friend groups. Strong friendships rooted in trust and genuine care for each other can lead to material wealth through investments such as buying land or a home with your friends. Therefore, beyond romanticizing your friends, take time this Galentine’s Day to evaluate how you could show up as the best version of a friend.
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