This year, I received five Galentine’s invites. Around the world, single girls are ditching the traditional roses and dinner dates for a chill night of chick-flicks and chocolate. 

I fully plan on going to all five of the celebrations — I never miss a chance to get together with my girlfriends. Between the invites, pink-themed Target aisles and featured romance movies showing up on my streaming accounts, I feel the love day spirit more than ever. I never thought that Valentine’s Day would be something I look forward to so much (especially as someone who is chronically without a valentine). 

My first memories of this holiday trace back to elementary school, when everyone was required to bring “valentine grams” for the whole class. I felt special opening a miniature card to reveal a lollipop or candy heart inside, and it was even more fun strategically planting my own grams. The semi-flirty ones were always reserved for crushes or best friends. 

As I grew up, my valentine count went from 30 of my peers to a disappointing zero; I scrolled past Instagram stories of people showing off their valentines and decided to shrug off the entire holiday altogether. It’s a holiday invented by consumerism and capitalist culture and Hallmark movies and sappy cards, and everything else I could think of.

I was a critic. I dismissed the day entirely, I refrained from opening the Instagram app and spent the day moping miserably to anyone who would listen. Opening the door to Galentine’s and opening my eyes to all of the different types of love in my life transformed the meaning of Valentine’s Day. 

Now, recognizing the unconditional, endless love in female friendship by celebrating with my closest friends, dressing up for ourselves and each other, making aesthetically pleasing treats and hosting a mandatory watch party of “Valentine’s Day” makes my cynical heart so full it nearly explodes. 

From my research, I learned that Galentine’s is a relatively new holiday. The concept was first introduced in 2010 when “Parks and Recreation”’s perky protagonist Leslie Knope invited all of her closest friends to commemorate their love for each other.

Leslie and her friends set the precedent for what is expected of every Galentine’s celebration: mimosas, food and lengthy essays listing all of the reasons why you love your friends.

Although I’m partial towards Galentine’s, there is no “right” way to spend Valentine’s Day. I do think that there might be a wrong way, though. Choosing any day to wallow in self-pity and be a pessimist about love is probably not the best way to spend 24 hours, but on a day that’s filled with so much love and joy, it’s especially detrimental to have a negative mindset.

An alternative celebration, this one on Feb. 12, called “Malentine’s Day” has also made some brief appearances in my Google search results. I rolled my eyes at first glance, but it might be another beneficial addition to the lovefest family. Men should have a reason to get together and appreciate each other’s company. It might be good for them.

The powerful thing about love is how all-encompassing it is, and how we can find it in so many places. It’s in the hug I received from a friend, or the lollipop I was handed at school this week that brought me back to my elementary school classroom, and it’s the faces of all of the happy couples around me. It’s in friends, partners and strangers. 

So really, the best way to celebrate love — even if it may sound corny and straight out of an episode of “Sex and the City” — is to show love to everyone, including yourself, however that looks like when Feb. 14 comes along.