Students Share the Gift of Galentine’s Day

For some, celebrating Valentine’s Day manifests through romantic gestures, dinner reservations or elaborate bouquets. For others, the hyper-commercialized holiday has been reclaimed to include platonic relationships and a celebration of girlhood. 

The popularization of Galentine’s Day is often linked to the character Leslie Knope from NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” who described it as the best day of the year. This year, Galentine’s Day has taken over TikTok as creators share Galentine’s Day party ideas with details covering everything from menus to decor. 

Whether it’s through heart-shaped pizzas, homemade bouquets or dessert boards, Loyola students are honoring the love they share with friends. 

Self-proclaimed Galentine’s enthusiast Lucy Neal said she loves pink. She loves holidays and, most importantly, she loves any opportunity to celebrate her friends.

The second-year said her plans this year include pink pasta, a cheesy rom-com and an outfit to match the joy she feels being able to host this year. 

“My love language towards others is definitely gift-giving or acts of service, and I’m very excited that I get to open up and help plan Galentine’s so I can make them a meal and spend time decorating the main room,” Neal said.

Although she hasn’t yet spent Valentine’s Day with a romantic partner, Neal said she refuses to let it deter her from celebrating the love-centered holiday. 

For Neal, Valentine’s Day has never just been about romance. Her parents always worked to make the holiday special through cards and gifts. Neal said she is grateful Galentine’s Day offers a secondary holiday to celebrate all the relationships in her life, such as the love she has for her family and friends.

“So, I think it’s a day to celebrate all relationships, and I’m glad that there’s a secondary holiday to celebrate life,” Neal said. “Celebrate, specifically friendships.”

With plans to decorate her Georgetown dorm in pink and red, Laila Haney said she invited longtime friends over with a feast of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes and pizza rolls.

Haney said she feels lucky to be surrounded by friends who believe a significant other isn’t the only way to find happiness and fulfillment. Using the holiday as an opportunity to spend time with friends, Haney said she enjoys celebrating what friendship means to her. 

Unlike Neal and Haney, Judi Nwonye has a partner she plans on celebrating Valentine’s Day with. Acknowledging the importance of her relationship, she said she’s also determined to set aside time to gather with friends in shared camaraderie.

Fourth-year Nwonye said she is celebrating Galentine’s with friends she met in a poetry class last year. Starting with a picturesque dinner at Alla Vita, Nwonye said they will stop by Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams before making their way back home. Nwonye’s favorite part of the night is taking off their makeup and heels to watch movies.

“I think friendship is more powerful than anything and I just, I value my friends,” Nwonye said.  “Every single time I see Sophia and Luna, there are moments where I just sit and I look and I’m like, ‘You guys are my best friends and you guys will always be my best friends and it makes my heart swell.’” 

Grateful to finally be living off-campus, Sierra Wann said she’s hosting Galentine’s Day with friends she adores after being brought together through her sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma. A home cooked dinner, card games and Dollar Tree decorations are on her agenda as she prepares to host this holiday for the first time. 

“Being able to just show the love and appreciation we have for the friends in our lives is really important,” Wann said. 

Wann said she feels especially connected to the members of her sorority she invited — girls who third-year Wann strives to care for through her positive and optimistic outlook on life. 

“Even though we’re kind of across different majors, I know that if I ever needed anything, they would help me find the answers I need,” Wann said. “If I was across campus, I know they would do anything for me and we all go to extreme lengths just to make sure we are connecting and seeing each other as much as we can.” 

Featured image taken by Rachael Wexler / The Phoenix.