Will You Be My Galentine? How To Celebrate Your Best Friend In Style

February is arguably the month to celebrate love in all the cheesy ways that one can think of, especially since Valentine’s Day falls on the 14th of this month every year. You know what I’m talking about: florists all over the world promoting their red roses bundles, meal deals for two and whatnot – all in the name of love. But love doesn’t limit to the romance within a couple, and in fact many women out there (single, taken or stuck in a sticky situationship alike) take the occasion to celebrate their best friend rather than focusing on their significant other (or the absence of such).

1. What Is Galentine’s Day?

In short: Galentine’s Day is a day to celebrate your female friends, whether it’s a whole squad of besties or a single ride or die – this day is all about making them feel special and thanking them for always being there for you. Galentine’s Day falls on February the 13th, the day before Valentine’s Day.

2. What Does Galentine Mean?

If someone names you their Galentine, you’re in for a nice surprise. This day celebrates the unique love between friends, and this can be expressed in so many ways. From presents to a special meal or an experience for you both, there are countless ways for you to make your Galentine feel appreciated and loved. Let’s find out together!

3. Is Galentine’s Day Only For Singles?

Absolutely not. Having a partner won’t stop you from celebrating your best friend(s)! If anything, you could potentially turn a cute Galentine’s Day idea into a double date, and spend Valentine’s Day exclusively with your partner.

4. What Do Girls Do On Galentines Day?

From having a fancy meal together to going out clubbing, pottery classes or having a sleepover – every person that celebrates Galentine’s Day does something different depending on their time, budget and their own idea of quality time. Whether you’re going to splash out on an expensive present or prepare a tasty charcuterie board and a glass of wine for your bestie, all that matters is that you make them feel special and celebrated.

5. What’s The Difference Between Valentines and Galentines?

Whilst Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating romantic love in the strict sense of it (aka, dedicated to romantic relationships), Galentine’s Day is all about celebrating a special friend in your life.

6. Galentines Day Gifts: A Cute Card

Let’s start with the classics: a great celebration starts with a cute, dedicated card. There are countless options nowadays, both online and in stores. Funny, cheeky, cheesy and cute: no matter what your style is, there’s a card for you and your special friend out there!

7. Galentines Day Gifts: A Charm

Pandora charms and bracelets are one of the most popular and trendy charms getting sold on special occasions such as Valentine’s Day, birthdays and Christmas. You can go for something customised, their initial, or something that symbolises your bond!

8. Galentines Day Gifts: Skincare

Are you familiar with your best friend’s skincare routine? Or perhaps you’d like to get them started on a revolutionary skin journey? In that case, look no further than skincare products for them to stock up on in the foreseeable future. Think of a nice gift set from Sephora, or a starting kit from The Ordinary.

9. Galentines Day Gifts: Haircare

From Color Wow’s Glass Hair Box to Olaplex’s Repairing Kit, there are plenty of options for you to gift a special person great hair days galore. Alternatively, if you know their hair well, you could look into getting them a customised set of shampoo and conditioner from Function Of Beauty – you also have the option to pick colour and fragrance, and to print their name on the bottle!

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10. Galentines Day Gifts: Hair Extensions

Speaking of flawless hair and hairstyles, what about human hair extensions? A life-changing investment, this type of gift will certainly get noticed and remembered for a long time. A set of luscious clip in hair extensions will bring your friend’s hair to life with volume, length and thickness; a gorgeous ponytail hair extensions set makes the perfect accessory to make them look and feel like a celebrity.

11. Galentines Day Gifts: A Special Bottle

For the Galentine that loves her glass of wine, why not go bananas on a special wine? From local crafts to special editions and expensive bottles, a wine lover will always appreciate a themed gift. Accompanied by a board of cheese and cure meats, you could potentially open it together as part of a Galentine's Day date.

12. Galentines Day Gifts: A Plant

Houseplants are great additions to a homely environment, and even more so if they come from a special person. Gifting a houseplant is the perfect gesture to add a personal touch to your loved one's house, and in the case of little succulents you could also work on a customised message to place on their pots!

13. Galentines Day Gifts: Shopping Gift Card

If your Galentine's is addicted to shopping, you can easily make their day by giving them some budget to spend in their favourite shop! Most big companies such as H&M, Zara, and others offer gift cards in their stores or even online - for a planet-friendly little present.

14. Galentines Day Gifts: A Mug

Make it a great day every day, with the perfect gift to wake up to: a customised mug! Your best friend's morning coffee will surely taste better when coming from a place of love - even more so if you make it stand out with a funny message.

15. Galentines Day Gifts: Manifest Candle

Sometimes I wish I was a genie able to make my best friend's dreams come true, but I don't have such power (yet). This is where manifestation comes into play. And what better way to help her focus her energies on her goals? The hand-poured soy-made Manifest candle comes with crystals to align chakras and channel your energy into making dreams come true. The perfect gift for the spiritual bestie!

16. Galentine’s Day Ideas: Coffee Date

Who doesn’t love a good coffee date? If your best friend isn’t someone that you get to see too often, grabbing a hot beverage at a nice little cafe could be just the perfect setting for a catch up. You could potentially make this an Instagrammable moment by going somewhere exclusive, such as an EL&N Cafe with their super-cute aesthetic coffee shops.

17. Galentine’s Day Ideas: A Day Of Culture

When was the last time you visited a local museum? Many cities offer free entrance or Museum passes for you to go and explore the cultural hotspots in your area. A day of culture is a nice occasion to do something different and learn something new whilst spending time with your favourite person.

18. Galentine’s Day Ideas: Pub-Hopping

If you don’t have any plans for Valentine’s Day and don’t fear the potential consequences of a wild night out (looking at you, hangover symptoms) then take your bestie out for a night of shenanigans. Apps such as DUSK offer you discounts and even free drinks in your area, so that you can try their latest specialty or discover a new venue you weren’t aware of.

19. Galentine’s Day Ideas: An Experience For Both

From going to a shooting range to arts & crafts classes, Galentine’s Day could be the perfect occasion for you to drag your best friend into a new hobby – who knows, this might become your new thing? If you look online, Experience Boxes offer a wide range of activities for you and a special person – whether you’re looking for a pampering experience or an adventurous day in the outdoors.

20. Galentine’s Day Ideas: Spa Day

Nothing beats a day of relaxing in the comfort of a spa, so why not make it a gift for your Galentine this year? Book a day for two and indulge in the pleasure of a personalised facial, a massage, and a quiet chat in the sauna. Perhaps you could add a mani-pedi for two, so that you won’t have to worry about having to go back to get your nails done.

21. Galentine’s Day Ideas: Cosy Night In

Let’s be honest, sometimes all you want to do is to plug off from the rest of the world and just enjoy a cosy night in with your inner circle only. Why not make this your Galentine’s Day date idea? Your favourite PJs, a round of pampering skincare, a movie that you both love (or that you both want to watch), a few snacks or a cheeky take away and lots of pillows and throws. Sometimes it doesn’t get any better than this.

22. Galentine’s Day Ideas: Besties Cookout

How about a mini cooking competition? Well it doesn’t have to be a competition, but making a nice meal together and consuming it in front of a nice movie is a great way to get creative and spend time together constructively. Perhaps one of you could take care of the main and starters, whilst the other one will bring the best dessert ever to life. Whatever your style is, exchanging recipes and creating together always counts as quality time!

23. Galentine’s Day Ideas: Escape Room

If you have more than a friend to take out for the occasion, why not challenge them to use their noggin in an Escape Room? Escape Rooms are a fun idea to spend time with a small group of friends and/or family. If you’re into trivia games and puzzles, this type of experience will surely put your mind to work.

24. Galentine’s Day Ideas: Wine Tasting

If, to your bestie, a glass of wine is more sacred than a morning coffee, then a wine tasting experience might just do the trick. You can either opt for a tasting experience with a view, or visit a historical location and learn more about the process and history behind precious wine-making. Either way, the experience can be both cultural and fun – allowing you both to discover new flavours and characteristics of wines that you may have never tried before. Not mentioning, you can actually now brag about wines at the restaurant knowing exactly what you’re talking about!

25. Galentine’s Day Ideas: Game Night

Are you (or is your Galentine) the geeky type? This might be your opportunity to bond over something different. From role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons or Vampire: The Masquerade, to digital adventures on a console, a game night promises nothing but fun. You can challenge your friends on a deathmatch on Call Of Duty or race them on the latest Need For Speed game, or why not? Fight them on a round of Tekken and its crazy characters and combat styles. Last but not least, board games classics and card games are a great option, especially if you have more than two participants involved.

26. Conclusion:

From the perfect gift to a day to spend together, there’s no going wrong with these cute ideas to spoil your friends for Galentine’s Day.