What is Galentine’s Day and why you should celebrate your friends’ Valentine’s Day on February 13 with the best plans

Every year, when February 14th approaches, the same overdose of red dresses and sexy lingerie, hearts, chocolates, jewels and flowers. Valentine’s Day is approaching and it’s time to celebrate the romantic love of a couple for one day a year. Only one. There are those who assure that it is a merely commercial date (although the origin is much more tragic) and we will not be the ones who take the opposite. Nor will we enter into the debate of whether it should be celebrated or not. But what we do know for sure is that, once again, we will celebrate the day before, February 13, Galentine’s Daypreviously known as the day of the single and, now, converted into the ‘ Valentine’s of friends‘.

But, what is galentine’s day? It all started in the US in 2010, when in an episode of the series ‘Parks and Recreation’ its protagonist, Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) organized a party with her friends just the day before Valentine’s Day. A full-fledged ‘girl power’ that struck a chord among fans of fiction and soon became widespread until it became a tradition. And it is that a love like that of your BFF’s deserves a good celebration.

What is Galentine’s Day? It all started with an episode of the Parks and recreation series. / DR

Plans to celebrate Galentine’s Day with your friends

• Party at home with your BFF’s

Surely you and your friends spend much less time together than you would like (and than you really need), so nothing better than getting together at home and update you on absolutely everything. No interruptions or prying eyes, just you (they are prohibited couples, aminovios, husbands and children) and your lives. Before your meeting, the hostess will decorate the house as the occasion deserves and yes, here excess is almost an obligation. Balloons, flowers, photos of you together, a wonderfully decorated table, a delicious meal (don’t get involved and order something delivered, we’ve come here to have a good time) and champagne. And you can always do a series marathon together and, as you may have already railed against ‘And just like that’, ‘Emily in Paris’ or the ‘Georgina’ docu-series, take the opportunity to see ‘Parks and recreation’the origin of this great day.

• Last minute getaway

If one day together at home sounds like a plan, a weekend by yourself is THE PLANAZO. And Galentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to do it. Okay, maybe we’re just a little tight on time, but improvisation is also fun. Pack your suitcase and escape almost without a fixed destination. You can travel to New York without leaving Madrid with the proposal of the Hotel Vincci Capitol, its Hotel Seagram’s, and enjoy the first musical 100% in Spanglish premiered in the capital, a brunch morning in the purest Broadway style or the cocktail bar of the famous Dante NYC. In the Sierra de la Loja, in grenade, you will enjoy a ‘slow’ weekend at La Bobadilla Royal Hideaway Hotel, with plans such as Nordic walking, forest bathing, EVOO tastings and a high-end gastronomic offer. Or take a plane to Tenerife and, from Cross port, enjoy the good weather and the wonderful island with the luxurious care of the Hotel Botánico & The Oriental Spa Garden. If you see that this February 13 is too close and the agenda is complicated, keep Galentine’s Day and set a date for your friends trip.

• A day of shared pampering

Caring and being cared for, isn’t that one of the keys to friendship? As we know that you already do that, nothing better than a shared pampering session in an exclusive beauty party: in Madrid You can go to the ones organized by Caroli Health Club (and its centers at the Orfila, Intercontinental, Barceló Torre de Madrid, Meliá Castilla, Valdepalacios or Eurostar Suites Mirasierra hotels) that include a welcome cocktail, a one-and-a-half hour thermal circuit , a treatment of your choice and ends with lunch or dinner at one of the hotel restaurants; or go to the ‘gin&nails’, cocktails and manicures, which are organized in Saporem (Calle Ventura de la Vega, 5); enjoy the treatments and spa at the Valbuena Monastery, in Valladolid; of the Thai massages of Thai Spa Massage of Barcelona (carrer Joan Güell, 236) to heal the body and mind; or travel back in time at Aire Ancients Bath in Seville (Calle Aire, 15) and the journey of sensations by candlelight that they propose in the spa of this imposing Mudejar-style house-palace with almost five centuries of history.

• The night is still yours

Maybe you don’t go out to be the queens of the night as much as before (you know, complicated schedules, COVID and stuff…), but it’s still yours. So this Galentine’s Day book a table at your favorite restaurant (if you run out of ideas, here are the hot spots this season) and then let the party begin! Terraceo, drinks, ‘clubbing’… or a karaoke! At BAM Karaoke Box (Calle Recoletos, 23) you can book a room so you don’t have to share a microphone with anyone else, make a list of your favorite songs together in advance and, while you have some limited edition cocktails (at the St. BAMlantines, with vodka, ibiscus and amaretto) bring out the diva in you for two and a half hours.