Today is February 13th, and I was scrolling through my Instagram and I noticed a post with the hashtag Galentine’s Day, at first I wrote it off as a joke or a spelling error but as I scrolled, I saw more of the same hashtag, I decided to investigate. I first tried to investigate the photos I saw with the hashtag and see if the photos explained the hashtag, so what did I see, and did it tell me what I needed to know? My short answer to that question is no.
As I scrolled, I mostly saw pictures of groups of women with no men dressed in red or white, almost as if they were out on a date. Eventually, I saw a couple of pictures that involved a man, or it had couples, and even though those pictures were few and far between; the men looked as if they were accessories. So what did I conclude from just the pictures I saw that had the hashtag, to me, it seemed as if it was a holiday for women and since it was so close to the holiday Valentine’s Day it seemed as if these women were out on girl dates with each other.
So was Galentine’s Day a women’s date night? Was it a night in which women asked each other out on a date? Well, a quick Google search explains Galentine’s Day as such – the female friendships we so heavily rely on are celebrated each year on Galentine’s Day on February 13. Originating from the popular TV show ‘Parks and Recreation’ the holiday is all about declaring love and affection to the girls who make up our support system. Go Girl Power!
“Oh, it’s only the best day of the
year. Every February 13th my lady
friends and I leave our husbands
and our boyfriends at home and
we just come and kick it breakfast
style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s
like Lilith Fair, minus the angst
Plus frittatas.”
-LESLIE KNOPE, Parks & Rec, S02E16
So I was right, and that scares me. It scares me because why suffocate the last romantic holiday that exists in a world already suffering from a struggling relationship dynamic. Why place a Girl Power holiday right before the last recognizable holiday for lovers? It seems as if there’s a scheme to ruin the relationship between men and women.
Galentine’s Day should definitely exist in today’s society, please don’t take me out of context. Yes, I could make the obvious anti-capitalism or anti-consumerism arguments of another holiday that we probably can’t really afford and in typical angry Blackman fashion say women are falling into the trap for stuff to post on social media or to cover up their emptiness of a not so genuine relationship, or I could even blame feminism. But no, I think women should celebrate each other and if we live in the economy, then we have to support it, and it’s okay to do that by celebrating with your friends and posting those memories on social media to inspire others, but maybe pick a nice Summer Day. Perhaps even a week and during that week you all plan a girl’s day and things are discounted for groups of women during that week, but I just think we please leave Valentine’s Day alone.
Is Galentine’s Day a play on emotions?
Are corporations trying to encourage non-male relationships around the last existing romantic holiday out of greed after seeing these trends?
Valentine’s Day Facts
If 85% of Valentine’s Day cards are bought by women but 66% of women are buying non-romantic gifts in February around Valentine’s Day, do these stats require a new sales strategy?
Don’t allow corporate greed to block out a holiday that could be used as a beckon of hope for relationships, because they are too lazy and want to play on a vulnerability in our current society.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Is Galentine’s Day okay whenever women want, or should Valentine’s Day be sacred and not clouded by a pro-either side day and be left completely to couples?…
