Article by Abril Keinrath Felice of Sim Local
Galentine’s Day, which coincides with the more traditional and official Valentine’s Day, originates from the popular TV series, Parks and Recreation, when an episode was dedicated to the concept of women celebrating women in 2010.
Although the cultural phenomenon of Galentine’s Day isn’t recognized as an official holiday, it’s quickly gaining popularity.
Typically associated with gifts and quality time with your girlfriends, the traditional Valentine’s Day can often represent a tough day in the calendar for many due to their current relationship status, be it single, divorcee or in bereavement.
This is reflected in the figures. A decade ago, the share of Americans taking part in romantic activity on February 14th stood at 63% and that has now fallen to just 51%. In its place, Galentine’s day is rising to the surface as a more inclusive version that’s all about celebrating platonic love and friendship, without the commercial undertone.
Choosing to celebrate the unofficial holiday of Galentine’s Day as a collective event within your companies can boost employees’ mental health during Valentine’s week which can be a lonely time for some. In turn this can boost internal workplace connections and friendships, and provide some lighthearted relief as we emerge from the annual bout of January Blues and a record 10-year low in employee engagement rates.
Further, as it focuses on female achievements it can be a great way to uplift the contributions of female employees and boost ongoing Women in the Workplace initiatives.
Here are some ideas on how to use Galentine’s Day and other popular holidays as a staff engagement tool for organizations.
The benefits of Galentine’s Day in the workplace
After Mark Zuckerberg’s now infamous call to bring more “masculine energy” into the workplace, Galentine’s Day 2025 is the perfect opportunity for founders and startup leaders to show where the company stands on the topic.
Galentine’s Day is a chance to show support and friendship among female coworkers and acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of women on the team.
For example, organizations could create a lighthearted awards ceremony to recognize and appreciate the unique qualities and talents of female colleagues.
Categories can include, “Best Team Player”, “Most Supportive Colleague”, or “Rising Star”. Acknowledging these qualities fosters a positive and encouraging work culture that also puts women in the spotlight.
The occasion can also be leveraged to help drive important discussions about engagement and progression in the company, including hosting a panel discussion with invited speakers, which allows employees to engage with speakers and offer direct feedback on any current Women in the Workplace initiatives to make meaningful change.
Driving collaboration and equality across industries
Although women in the U.S. started roughly twice as many new businesses as men between 2019 and 2023, companies founded solely by women still receive just 2% of venture capital dollars on average.
Yet a recent report from BCG identified that women-led companies represent a $32 trillion opportunity thanks to their ability to identify underserved market gaps that they themselves have experienced.
Established organizations have a chance to help address equality within the tech founder community. Here, Galentine’s Day can be used to spotlight the achievements of emerging or underrepresented female founders.
Bringing Galentine’s Day to work can be a great way to engage the team. This pop culture phenomenon stems from a chance to celebrate female friendships, but there’s no reason the whole team can’t get involved.
Host a day of self-care and wellbeing that brings wellness experts into the office for free activities like meditation, yoga, or stress relief exercises. This allows employees to reconnect and form bonds, offering an inclusive way to boost engagement and celebrate the achievements of your hard-working employees in a different way. For organizations that work remotely, eSIMs can make group travel for Galentine’s Day seamless, helping everyone to stay connected without worrying about Wi-Fi or roaming fees.
A record year for Galentine’s Day
As we prepare to enter Q2’25, Galentine’s Day offers a chance to focus on some positives and highlight women’s future in the workplace this year.
As Leslie Knope said, “We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter, but work is third”.
