Galentine’s Day is way better than Valentine’s Day

Every year Valentine’s Day comes around and all us single Pringles feel shit again. Couples revel in their PDA, their date nights and soppy rom-coms, and we have to watch them, feeling bitter about it, and then getting annoyed at ourselves in turn for being bitter.

Who really needs relationships though? Spending all that money merely out of obligation because you’ve been sleeping with that guy for a few months. Or maybe it’s the one weekend a month that your long distance bae pays £70 odd for a train ticket up to Edinburgh, and you have to try and think of something romantic to do, knowing you both hate the Valentine’s cliché.

Why not spend the day celebrating with people you really love – your gal pals, your girl squad. After all Bae stands for “before anyone else,” and I’m pretty sure that applies to the friends who you’ve wee’d with on a night out and have drunkenly flashed your boobs to (okay not even drunkenly). Here’s some of the things you can do to make your Valentine’s Day a Gal-entine’s Day.

Go for a romantic meal

Grab all your gal pals and book a table at your fave restaurant. Nothing’s more romantic than stuffing your face on a burger, knowing you don’t have to worry about looking ugly in front of your date because there are no boundaries regarding food. Good chat is guaranteed because there are no awkward pauses in the conversation, apart from when everyone is gorging themselves on the good food.

Bond as a team

Edinburgh has hundreds of pubs, so naturally there are pub quizzes every day of the week, so go and test your combined knowledge and have a laugh as a team and maybe win some prizes. The Three Sisters pub quiz even gives participants can get a bowl of mac n cheese at half time.

Pamper yourselves

Makeovers at sleepovers might be very ‘primary school’ but we all lead stressful lives and deserve some self care, so what better time to do it than when you and your gal pals get together one of the countless times a week you all congregate at someones flat?

Grab some facemasks, bring a onesie, and teach each other your prized makeup skills and impart your wisdom so your besties stay looking on fleek. Why not grab a few bottles of prosecco while you’re at it and celebrate your friendship.

who is the fairest of them all?

Host a dinner party

Unfortunately, us students are poor so if you don’t have the money to go out to a restaurant with your girls, you can just as easily host a pot luck dinner party from the comfort of your own home and have everyone bring some food or drinks. Good food and good vibes make friendships stronger, so arrange a date, bring the food, and have everyone cuddle up as you squeeze 10 people round a table made for four.

how many people can we squeeze into a 4 bed flat’s living room?

Go for cocktails

Skip the sesh and opt for a night of classier, tastier drinks at a cocktail bar where you can chat while listening to good music, and having cheeky sips of each others drinks. Theres so much choice in Edinburgh, you don’t have to go somewhere expensive, The Doghouse on Clerk Street has a great cocktail menu, and drinks are cheap. Plus there is a dog called Hero so honestly what more persuasion does your gal squad need to head down and get some puppy love from an actual cute pup (he’s a bit bigger than a pup but still as cute).

The bars on George street don’t have a dog, do they

Go on a romantic walk around the city

This one requires more effort, especially when the Edinburgh temperatures only reach about ten degrees on a good day, but take your pals on a walking (and drinking) tour of the city, stopping at places that bring back memories, such as your first year halls, the steps of that fancy hotel you spewed on upon leaving the club that one time, the pub beer garden that you first kissed the hottie who never spoke to you again, the side street on the way to the club you always have to stop off at to have a wee because you evidently broke the seal at pre drinks. The grosser the memory, the more you guys bond.

Robbies close born and raised