Valentine’s Day is a slightly controversial and overrated holiday. The love birds like the holiday but get too stressed over a multitude of situations ranging from not knowing exactly what type of gift to get a significant other as to not overspend or underspend, to completely forgetting a present all together and then rushing to buy anything and everything that’s shaped like a heart and is remarkably overpriced.

While this holiday is vastly over-exaggerated and overpriced, there’s a similar holiday that can be celebrated by those in a relationship or singles alike. Galentine’s Day. Galentine’s Day is a day to celebrate and appreciate the lovely gals, women, bffs, lady friends, etc. in your life. There doesn’t need to be a holiday to show appreciate to your most beloved friends but thanks to Leslie Knope from Parks & Rec, we now have an unofficially official holiday for such the occasion.

Some may be wondering what exactly should this holiday entail, and the answer would be: Literally anything you want. If going to the movies is your thing, pick up some candy at the nearest drug store and go see Fifty Shades Darker, or something a little more appropriate like The Lego Batman Movie. If the movie theater is not up your alley, then grab your gal pals and head somewhere else like dinner, the mall, the bar, to the store to get ice cream and cookie dough so you can watch movies at home. Whatever it may be, just spend time with the girls.

This is not a day for the single ladies out there to protest Valentine’s Day. Sit around a pizza with your friends and embrace the fact that you’re taking some time to love yourself and no one else … whether it’s by choice or not. Don’t shame your poor friend whose been dating her boyfriend since high school, let her talk about how cute they are, you can throw up later. Similarly, don’t hate on your hot best friend who has celebrated with a different guy for the past 10 years, not everyone can slay as hard as she can.

Just enjoy yourself, we’ve all been blessed with a hand full of strong and wonderful women to face life with; they’re the ones who really deserve the chocolate and flowers. They’re the ones that call you on their way home from work to see how your day was, the ones that stay over until 3 a.m. even when they have to be up at 7:30 a.m. They’re the ones who come over and “hangout” with you but are happy to just eat Ramen noodles and take naps on your floor. They’re the ones that go on road trips with you. These are people that will forever be by our sides, appreciate them.

XOXO