HAPPY VALENTINE’S AND GALENTINE’S DAYS 2023

Yes, actual Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, but today is the relatively new fake “holiday,” Galentine’s Day, so I decided to write a quick bit about them both together.

Let’s discuss the much-more-celebrated Valentine’s Day first.

While I have to admit that I was a tad jealous for a moment when I recently read that my old crush, the one and only Paul McCartney, said he tends to “overdo” this holiday a bit, showering his wife with cards and gifts for the occasion, I’m perfectly happy with Mr. X and me doing barely anything for each other on that day. We occasionally do something to commemorate the occasion, (lunch, dinner, seeing Lady and the Tramp on a big screen, and things like that,) if not really celebrate it, per se, but I’m just as fine sitting home together, no matter what we do that day or night. (And he has always showered me with great things all year round, so I don’t need anything else on this specific day.)

My advice to everyone in the world for Valentine’s Day is–do not let the occasion, including trying to find the perfect gift, stress you out! It’s just one day, for goodness sake. The holiday is all about love, not torturing yourself.

And if you’re without a Valentine this year, don’t get your panties in a wad over it, either. It’s literally just one day in the entire year.

If you have a significant other, great. Of course celebrate it, even if that means just lying on the couch together, snacking on popcorn, and dissecting what just happened in the Superbowl. (I’ll try to give you my thoughts on that topic in a couple of days.)

But if you’re a gal alone, in life or just this week, why not celebrate Galentine’s Day today or tonight with the gal pals? Trust me—there’s no day where celebrating your friendships is not appropriate. Perhaps go out to Afternoon Tea today with the girls—that repast is perfect for a ladies day. Or just go out for drinks with your pals tonight. And dish on all the males in your lives. It’s all fun. (And then tomorrow you may be too hungover to notice you don’t have a Valentine!)

As to the guys who are alone this week, I guess you’re left out of any and all festivities. The only reason there’s a “Galentine’s Day” is because “gal” rhymes with “val.” So you can’t have a “broentine’s” anything! Actually, we should really start referring to today as “Galentine’s and Bromance Day.” (And remember—I coined it!)

An afternoon tea at Karen’s, back in the day. (L-R, and seated) Lucia, Karen, Diane, and Caryn. (L-R and standing) Eadie, Jann, Candis, and Celia. Photo by Lucia Singer.

So, now matter who you are, and no matter which day(s) you celebrate this week, I wish you all a very Happy Valentine’s, Galentine’s, or Bromance Day!

On a side note, let’s all please try to love one another every day! The old song, What The World Needs Now, is never more relevant than it is this month, when we just lost the song’s composer, Burt Bacharach. (The lyrics, though, are by Hal David.) Just sing it to yourselves and try to practice the sentiment, if not always, then at least this week.