Who says all the Valentine’s Day hype has to be centered on your significant other this year? It’s fun to have a date to share a romantic evening with, but Valentine’s Day is about showing your love for the people you care about, and there’s no bond quite like the one you share with your best girl friends. Single or not, letting your gals know just how much you appreciate their friendship is a must this Valentine’s Day.

NBC’s series “Parks and Recreation” dedicated February 13th as annual “Galentines Day” during their 16th episode of their second season on air. During the episode Leslie Knope, a character played by Amy Poehler, discussed her friends’ tradition to ditch their boyfriends and husbands on the day before Valentine’s Day to participate in some quality lady bonding.

“It’s wonderful and it should be a national holiday.” Leslie said during the episode.

The idea is catching on, as some students at Iowa State are getting into the “Galentines Day” spirit as well.

Marissa Holub, an open option sophomore at Iowa State, said that she’s heard of the “holiday” established on “Parks and Recreation” and was even invited to a Galentines Day party here in Ames. She said the girls will get together to watch movies and socialize, and that absolutely no men are allowed.

Whether you decide to participate in the new “Galentines’ Day” traditions on February 13th, or just want to spend Valentines’ Day with your girls, there are plenty of things you can do to keep your spirits high this holiday.

Jessica Prevor, a sophomore studying early childhood education, said that she always likes to catch a movie with her friends on Valentine’s Day.

Whether you’re in the mood for a sappy chick flick like “Endless Love” or just want to stare at Zac Efron for two hours during “That Awkward Moment”, going to a movie is a great way to spend any girl’s night.

If you’ve already got yourself a Valentines Day date, making your best friends some tasty treats can be a creative way to wish them a happy Valentines Day as well.

Sierra Sagastume, a junior studying political science, loves surprising her friends with some scrumptious sweets on Valentine’s Day.

“I always make chocolate covered pretzels for my friends” Sagastume said. She also loves decorating the treats to add a little Valentine’s Day touch to them.

Other treats worth trying are heart-shaped chocolate covered strawberries, small goody bags filled with candy, or Valentine’s Day sugar cookies made with heart-shaped cookie cutters.

If any of the ideas above don’t catch your interest, a fun night in with your girl friends may be just what you need.

Order a pizza, make some Valentines’ Day treats together, and pop in your favorite chick flicks. Turn the event into the ultimate girls night by having a contest to see who has the best Valentine’s Day stories. You can talk about previous dates that went wrong, gifts that didn’t turn out as planned, or other laughable Valentine’s Day experiences.