{"id":164131,"date":"2024-02-14T12:17:55","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T11:17:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=164131"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:10","slug":"celebrating-galentines-day-youre-building-a-bond-with-people-that-youre-going-to-be-lifetime-friends-with","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/02\/14\/celebrating-galentines-day-youre-building-a-bond-with-people-that-youre-going-to-be-lifetime-friends-with\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Galentine\u2019s Day: ‘You’re building a bond with people that you’re going to be lifetime friends with’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Between glittery hearts and thoughtful gestures, love has many forms. Moving the spotlight from couples to friends, Galentine\u2019s day is a twist on the typical red rose-shaped holiday celebrated on February 14th. It is Valentine\u2019s day for the girls – or \u2018gals\u2019 \u2013 and an opportunity to commemorate and appreciate friendship.<\/p>\n

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Nathania, Abigail, Stella and Louisa are celebrating Galentine's day with a dinner date and a concert.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKim Casamitjana<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

As sung by Wet, Wet, Wet, \u2018love is all around\u2019 at this time of the year. However, Lesli Knope taught us that, actually, \u2018the best day of the year\u2019 is when you get to come together with your best friends. The fictional character of the American series Parks and Recreation<\/em> created the first official Galentine\u2019s day, when in an episode in 2010, she invites her girl friends for a \u2018ladies celebrating ladies\u2019 brunch. From that moment on, girls and women have claimed ownership of February 13th, or any other day of this month, to gather their closest friends for a special occasion.<\/p>\n

A dinner date and a concert<\/h2>

Enjoying their free lunch hour on campus, Nathania, Stella, Abigail, and Louisa\u2019s laughter is audible to anyone passing by, as they engage in a light-hearted conversation. \u201cWe are always together\u201d, says Nathania with a smile. The four friends met just last September when they started the Management master\u2019s programme at RSM. Coming from the Netherlands, Germany, and Aruba, they knew they were \u2018the perfect match\u2019 right away, as they connect over life goals and sense of humour. Since they share such a recent friendship, this will be the first opportunity for the students to celebrate Galentine\u2019s day as a group. \u201cI first saw the term on Instagram, and I immediately thought of celebrating Valentine\u2019s with the girls\u201d, explains Louisa.<\/p>\n

For this group, the plan almost formed itself, as they had already bought tickets to attend the concert of the R&B artist Masego in Amsterdam, on the 15th. \u201cWe don\u2019t even know who that is, but Stella knows, so we\u2019re going with her so she can have fun!\u201d, says Nathania, making the whole group laugh. Putting her hands against her chest, Stella smiles: \u201cI\u2019m so, so grateful!\u201d. To mark the day, they decided to have a dinner date before catching the show, and \u2018make it a celebration with the girls\u2019, shares Nathania. \u201cWe always talk about spending more time together, quality time\u201d says Stella, referring to Galentine\u2019s day as a good opportunity to \u2018enjoy each other\u2019s company\u2019.<\/p>\n

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The students knew they would be friends since the moment they met.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKim Casamitjana<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

A feminist practice and the democratisation of love<\/h2>

But is Galentine\u2019s day a feminist practice? \u201cFor sure\u201d, affirms Nathania, \u201cas a woman, you need to celebrate yourself because we live in a man\u2019s world\u201d. For the students, this is the right moment to do so. Organising group dates is a way of cherishing each other and show your female friends how important it is to nurture strong bonds. \u201cGirl friends are the ones who catch you when you are in trouble, those who really understand you\u201d, explains Abigail. Nathania agrees: \u201cWe all empathise and sympathise with each other like no one can, and it makes you feel like you\u2019re building a bond with people that you\u2019re going to be lifetime friends with\u201d.<\/p>\n

But Galentine\u2019s day is also a form of democratising love. Saving the date to come together is a way of showing appreciation for different types of love in their lives, even if not the romantic kind. \u201cLove is for everyone\u201d, says Abigail, \u201cnot everything has to be about being with a partner, you can also have other people that you really care about, and that care about you\u201d. And even if you do have a partner, it is equally important to \u2018remind your girls\u2019 that they are also your \u2018Valentine\u2019, adds Louisa. Because \u2018Valentine\u2019s day\u2019 \u2013 or Galentine\u2019s day \u2013 \u2018is for whoever you love\u2019, and that includes your friends.<\/p>\n\n\t

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