Host a Galentine's Day

Galentine’s Day is for your friends. It started as a joke in the TV show Parks and Recreation, where a character celebrated it on February 13 with a brunch for the women in her life, and it caught on. These Galentine’s Day ideas keep it simple: one meal, a nicely set table and a card for everyone.

Pick the day and the people

February 13 is the date, but the nearest weekend works if that’s easier. Choose three to eight people you want to spend a slow couple of hours with. A smaller group is easier to talk with, and easier to seat.

Brunch is the classic, but dinner works just as well. Send the invitation a couple of weeks ahead and say what time you’ll start. Ask about allergies and any foods people avoid.

Plan the food

Make it a team effort, so no one is stuck in the kitchen. A few ways to do it:

• You make the main, and everyone brings a side, a dessert or a drink.
• Cook together as part of the evening, such as a pasta night or a big pancake brunch.
• Do a “bring a favourite” plate and share.

Keep one dish hot and ready, and don’t try to make everything at once. If you serve drinks with alcohol, they’re optional, and only for guests who are 21 or older in the US. Put a good non-alcoholic option beside them.

Set the table properly

This is what makes it feel special:

• A cloth or a sheet of paper as a runner
• Candles, in holders, kept away from sleeves and napkins
• A small bunch of flowers, or even sprigs from the grocery store, in a jar
• Place cards, if you like
• Real plates and glasses where you can, even if they don’t match

You don’t have to spend much. Borrow plates from a friend, and use what you own.

Make the cards

Give everyone a little card with one true line about why you’re glad they’re your friend. Use paper you already have, a postcard or a folded index card. Write the person’s name on the front. A few examples:

• “You’re the first person I text when something good happens.”
• “Thank you for the long walks and the longer talks.”
• “I’m so glad we found each other.”

Small flowers are a nice extra, but a card on its own is enough. Write them the day before so you aren’t rushing.

Easy things to do together

• Compliment round. Each person says one thing they admire about the person to their left.
• Swap. Everyone brings something they’ve read, watched or loved, and gives a short recommendation.
• Movie. Pick a film you all know, or a comedy you’ve never seen.
• Craft. Make friendship bracelets or cards from a pile of supplies.
• Photos. Take a group photo before people get tired and the candles burn down.

What goes wrong

• Someone feels left out. Invite widely and keep conversation shared, so no one is stuck on the edge of a group.
• The food is late. Start with snacks, and let people relax while the main finishes.
• Single-or-couple talk. Keep the evening about the friends. Everyone is welcome, whether they’re in a relationship or not.
• You’re stressed about the details. The point is the people. A plain table with good company beats a fancy one without.
• Candles. Don’t leave them unattended, and blow them out before anyone leaves the table for long.

After

Send a photo to the group chat the next day, along with a thank-you. Keep the cards you receive. If you enjoyed it, make it a yearly tradition, with a different friend hosting each time.

Keep it small and kind

The point of Galentine’s Day is that your friends matter. It doesn’t need a theme, a budget or a perfect table. If one friend is going through a hard time, make her feel especially welcome, and if someone can’t make it, send her a card anyway. A simple evening of good food and real conversation is more memorable than a big one.

Make it a winter evening

Draw the curtains, turn the lights down and let the table be the only bright thing in the room. For a gift to match the card, you could make valentines by hand for the whole group, or finish the night with a cosy movie night on the couch.