Galentine’s genuinely changed how I experience the months after the holidays. That period has always felt a bit boring to me, everything slows down, winter drags on, and there’s usually nothing specific to look forward to. Galentine’s gave that time of year some structure, something to anticipate, even if it’s just one night.

For me, Galentine’s is a way to celebrate my friends and the love around me. Shifting my perspective this way has made the whole Valentine’s period more enjoyable, less focused on one idea of love and more on all the forms it takes in my life.

I love the process of decorating the apartment: balloons, paper hearts, pink pajamas, pink details everywhere. It doesn’t need to be perfect or coordinated; it just needs to feel different from a normal day. There are heart-shaped cookies (sometimes homemade, sometimes not), pink drinks, and snacks on every surface. The goal is fun, not effort. We usually end up playing card games, having long conversations, or putting on “girly” comfort movies that stay on in the background while the night unfolds. Galentine’s doesn’t fix winter, but it definitely improves it. It adds color, noise, and something playful to a season that can otherwise feel flat. It is simple, low-pressure, and genuinely fun, and that’s exactly why it’s become something I look forward to every year.