By Kassidy Weemhoff | Echo
Move over Valentine's Day. There's a new holiday in town. Feb. 13, or Galentine's Day, is a different approach to the month's affectionate festivities.
"Parks and Recreation" character Leslie Knope defined it as, "Ladies celebrating ladies. It's like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas." Galentine's Day originated from an episode of the sitcom in 2010. Since its debut, the holiday has skyrocketed in popularity, each year drawing more women to celebrating the joys of female friendship.The idea is simple: before getting swept away in the fantasies or sad realities of Valentine's Day, take time to enjoy and cherish your friends. Whether it be gathering around a meal, telling stories or eating chocolate until the sun comes up, Galentine's Day is about supporting and encouraging fellow females.
In recent years, Galentine's Day has taken root throughout Taylor's campus. Many female residence life members have implemented this tradition into their wing or floor events. Junior Laura Roggenbaum and junior Madison Prince, PAs on Second East Olson, say they are celebrating with a sleepover on Friday night.
"We don't always get to do things as a whole wing that are just for the purpose of having fun together, so this weekend seemed like the perfect opportunity to celebrate a fun holiday with just the girls," Roggenbaum said.
Although some wings or floors refrain from partaking in this newer holiday, some go all out. Junior Katie Franz, PA on First West Olson, describes her wing's plans to celebrate Galentine's Day at The Bridge, which consists of renting out the whole cafe, having a huge waffle bar, getting dressed up, dancing and making toasts to one another.
Some may wonder why or how this holiday became so popular.
"I think a lot of people dread Valentine's Day," Franz said. "They don't have a significant other, and the holiday is very romanticized. Galentine's Day is a way to celebrate friendships and loving where you're at."
Maybe this year, instead of tweeting about your doomed love life or sulking in your dorm room watching rom-coms alone, you could reach out to your female friends. Write an encouraging note, plan a coffee date, practice self-care and empower the women around you.
"To celebrate our wing and the fact that we have a community that doesn't necessarily need a romantic love in order to celebrate or feel loved is really important," Franz explained. "That's something I want to instill in years to come. You don't have to have a significant other in order to have a fun, loving, exciting holiday."
