Galentine’s Day is observed, by some, on Feb. 13, the day before Valentine’s Day. Galentine’s Day dates back to 2010, when NBC’s Parks and Recreation invented the unofficial holiday.
Galentine’s Day celebrates the importance of special, platonic relationships women have with each other. Alex Molnar, a senior studying media and social change, started observing Galentine’s Day last year.
“We have a party. A bunch of us girls are going and celebrating with our girl loves and our girl crushes,” Molnar said.
Galentine’s Day is often seen as an alternative to Valentine’s Day, but the two can be rather complementary.
“I think that it’s really important because Valentine’s Day is for your love,” Molnar said. “It’s really important to promote friendships and girl power. Galentine’s Day really brings the spirit of love together, and it helps friendships grow. It’s really fun.”
Molnar also recognizes the unconventional origins of Galentine’s Day.
“I think it's really interesting and cool that something that originated from a TV show can actually spread into contemporary pop culture. It’s cool that something like that can actually be successful,” Molnar said.
To celebrate Galentine’s Day locally, the Women in the Music Industry (WIMI), a student organization at Ohio University, will hold a Galentine’s Day-themed event at Donkey Coffee, 17 W. Washington St., on Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
“We decided it would be good to make it like a gal pal, girl's kicking a--, kind of showcase,” Diana Buchert, a senior studying recording industry studies and operational chair at WIMI, said. “WIMI is a female-identifying organization, so we wanted female identifying musicians and give them a platform.”
WIMI’s Galentine’s Gig has been years in the making. This will be the first show WIMI has put on, Buchert said.
“We're really proud about it. We're just stoked to have a show. We’ve been wanting to put one on for a while,” Buchert said.
Galentine’s Gig will run about two hours. Admission is free and donations are encouraged. Playing that night are five acts: Megan Wren, Caitlin Kraus, Allison DeWitt, Magnolia Child and Lexi Murray.
The acts will feature various style sounds, Buchert said. Megan Wren is a classic-rock influenced musician and frequent performer at Donkey Coffee. Caitlin Kraus and Allison DeWitt are both local acts. Lexi Murray is a songwriter and member of WIMI. Magnolia Child is a duo act that does great harmonizing and covers with piano and ukulele, Buchert said.
“It’s a good place to do a show to start your weekend. It’s just a comfy, cozy environment and for the acts we have it makes the most sense,” Buchert said.
Eliana Paukert, a freshman studying pre-media arts and studies, and also a member of WIMI, recognizes the importance of Galentine’s Day. It’s about having a good time with your female friends, she said, but it’s also about supporting your girls.
“For instance, one of my friend’s girlfriend goes to a different college and they won’t get to spend Valentine’s Day together. We’re going to celebrate Galentine’s Day. So it’s about supporting friends who just can’t make it,” Paukert said.
