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Do you have any plans for Galentine’s Day yet? That’s right: Galentine’s Day. I’ve never heard of? Neither did I, until I combined the terms Valentine’s Day and anti-anti in a Google search.
The hit that presented Galentine’s Day as the anti-Valentine’s Day caught my attention. The term is a combination of Valentine and the American colloquial word for “girl”, meaning girl.
Originally a sitcom
Background on the unofficial holiday: In the second season of the US comedy series “Parks and Recreation,” main character Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) declares February 13 as Galentine’s Day. In the episode of the series of the same name, which first aired in 2010, he invites his friends to brunch with waffles and cocktails and says: “Every February 13th, my friends and I leave our husbands at home, hang out, and just have fun.”
So what Leslie Knope calls “the best day of the year” is not anti-Valentine’s Day. It is primarily aimed not at singles, but at women who come together to celebrate their friendships on Girls’ Day. Or in short: women celebrate women.
What started as a celebration between fictional friends on television has found many imitators in the real world since 2010. They see Galentine’s Day as an opportunity to celebrate something that is overlooked and often overlooked every day: friendship.
Girls’ Day not only serves a need, it is also commercially interesting. Companies are advertising their qualifying offerings on social media: “Happy Galentine’s Day” greeting cards evoke the power of female friendships, with messages like “Sisters before gentlemen” or “wombs before Duderuses.” They offer gift ideas to friends (stuffed animals, chocolates, beauty products) or offer ideas for joint events on February 13.
“Such a Day too late”
The term is now also appearing in German-language media, and the first commercial providers are testing what kind of business can be done with the term. A travel provider from Germany is currently writing that they want to celebrate friendship this year and is advertising city trips to girlfriends for Galentine’s Day.
Despite all the commercialization, the idea of a holiday dedicated to cultivating friendships is not unreasonable. “On the contrary,” Steve Stiehler, 55, says over the phone. Social worker, St. He teaches at the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences in St. Gallen and researches the topic of friendship. “A day like this is long overdue.”
Steve Stiehler says that in times of divorce, single households, and mobility, the importance of friendships increases significantly. “Friendships have replaced family.” We hold our friends accountable and give them tasks, even though we are only emotionally connected to them and not through our family.
An example? Stiehler points out that the number of singles is increasing. “As they get older, they will also need support and for this they will rely on friendships, among other things.” Therefore, friendships are a source of social support.
Friendship has one special Quality
For the friendship researcher, the quality of a close friendship lies, among other things, in the fact that it is the only form of relationship in which you can be yourself. Where you can show yourself how you are. You can’t necessarily do that in love relationships.
While life presents crises and turmoil that every person must overcome, friendships also provide solid foundations. “You can use friendships as a guide,” says Steve Stiehler. “It is valuable to know that a friend can be trusted.”
Friendship is of great importance in our society and this should be consciously accepted. Stiehler finds the “ritualized opportunity” of a day like Galentine’s Day “infinitely valuable.”
Take your time for each other to take
He’s not really interested in the business aspect of giving gifts to his girlfriends. «In today’s busy and busy daily life, it is a special appreciation that we make time for each other. A day like this can do just that.” Instead of giving each other gifts, it’s better to “hang out” like Leslie Knope and her friends.
What about men? They (and other gender identities) are not excluded from Friendship Celebration Day: If you replace the word “girl” with “pal” you get: Palentine’s Day. This new word floating around actually appeals to everyone who can be friends with each other.
Social educator Steve Stiehler has an idea for Palentine’s Day: Men, in particular, often maintain very good “recreational friendships,” he says. This refers to a friendship with someone you call a friend (or girlfriend), even if you haven’t seen each other for a long time—perhaps years. Stiehler suggests: “February 13 can be used to rekindle dormant friendships, that is, to get in touch with friends you haven’t heard from for a long time.”
Source : Blick
I am Dawid Malan, a news reporter for 24 Instant News. I specialize in celebrity and entertainment news, writing stories that capture the attention of readers from all walks of life. My work has been featured in some of the world’s leading publications and I am passionate about delivering quality content to my readers.
