Is 'Galentines' becoming more trendy than Valentines Day?

Is the trend of celebrating Galentines more popular this year, even for the girls in relationships...

As Valentine's day approaches once again this year I've noticed the trend of having a ‘Gal’entines party or replacing Valentine's day for Galentines and spending the day with your friends instead. But why has this trend become so popular and is it going to become a new holiday for female friendship groups?

Valentine’s Day originated as a Christian Feast Day honouring two early Christian martyrs both named St Valentine and through later traditions, has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love throughout the world. One of the Saints the day is based off of was a priest named Valentine who served during the third century in Rome. The Emperor at the time had banned marriage for young men as he believed single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families. Valentine disagreed with this injustice and went against the law and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. According to another legend, Valentine's Day is based on a prisoner named Valentine that sent the first valentine note/ card after he fell in love with a girl who visited him during his confinement. Before he died, it was alleged that he wrote her a letter and signed it off ‘From your Valentine’, the famous expression that we use to this day.

As much as these beautiful gestures of love are heart-warming and loved by those receiving it, the display of other’s love and affection can be hard to watch for those who are single. Then came the invention of ‘Galentine’s Day’ where the holiday of spreading love is directed to those around you, including the gals in your life. The term was coined by Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation (on Season 2, Episode 16). It is a day dedicated to celebrate specifically the friendships between women and usually takes place on the 13th February. Throughout the years, the idea of Galentines Day has grown from a takeaway and movie with your girls to dressing up for full blown dinner parties accompanied with heart shaped foods.

However many don’t choose not to celebrate Valentine's Day as they don’t want to feed into capitalism and how the holiday is just a way to make people spend money. Brands change their marketing and designs to suit the Valentines day theme and make it heart related and red themed. But is the holiday just a scam to spend money? And is Galentines essentially reclaiming the holiday in a fun way or feeding more into the capitalism?

So why do we feel the need to celebrate Galentines day?

The idea of celebrating your love for the women and friendships around you is beautiful to me. I believe the friendships around you show you just as much support and love than romantic relationships and they should be celebrated. Also the idea of supporting everyone and including those who are not in relationships to remind them they are surrounded by love and don’t need a romantic partner to know that. I feel like it's a reminder to those who haven’t found someone yet that they are not unlovable and it has nothing to do with them as a person because look at all these people around you that love you.

Also the aesthetic of a girly party, sleepover or dinner party is so fun. It’s an excuse to dress up in pink or red clothes, make heart shaped pizzas and drink fruity cocktails or to wear matching heart pyjamas and have a cute sleepover staying up all night talking and laughing.

But then again we have to ask, why do we need a valentines day for the girls? The whole point of the holiday is to celebrate the love between two people and all the origin stories are based on celebrating lovers and their union. Also there are no holidays for men to express their love for their friends so why must the girls have one.

Surely you should just accept that this holiday is not for you if you're single just like how many people don't celebrate other common holidays in the year. Do we feel the need to comfort our female friends who are not in relationships? But in a sense is Galentines Day just a pity party for the single girls? Is it now a bad thing to not be in a relationship?

In my opinion, I think it has nothing to do with being single and needing comfort around a lack of romantic involvement. Romance to me feels very feminine anyway. There is a romantic aspect to female love as it is so wholesome and all consuming. It is thoughtful and considerate and sentimental whether that is that through the gifts we give, the love we show or even the little things we pick up when that make us think about them.

However, I know many women in relationships who have celebrated Galentines Day this year. I believe Galentines Day is an innocent expression of female admiration for our friends and not a retaliation holiday against those who are in relationships.