02/13/2026
What is Galentine’s Day?
Galentine’s Day is a celebration of female friendships, and the holiday originated on the hit NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation.”
“It’s an alternative to Valentine’s Day, created by the writers of ‘Parks and Rec,’” the show’s star Amy Poehler explained on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2020. “Leslie Knope would get all her gals together and shower them with weird gifts.”
The celebration kicked off in Season 2, Episode 16—aptly titled “Galentine’s Day”—which first aired on February 11, 2010. According to Poehler’s Knope, Galentine’s Day is “only the best day of the year.”
Today, this unofficial holiday has taken on a life of its own, giving women the chance to celebrate their closest friendships. “It’s kind of caught on as a fun, fake holiday, just like Valentine’s Day,” Poehler added.