While the pandemic makes any festivities difficult, it’s still possible to have a good time being your single self with your best friends this Valentine’s, colloquially known as "Galentine’s Day." There have been almost 400,000 COVID-19 cases in South Carolina alone, so here are some ways to celebrate Galentine’s Day either socially distanced or online:
Play some BFF trivia.
Have everyone write several fun questions about themselves beforehand, and ask them to the group. The players can write their answers on dry-erase boards or a piece of paper. This is a bit of friendly competition, all while remembering what you love about your girls.
Try a new recipe.
Whether this is someone’s go-to favorite or a totally new recipe, have someone in the group share this with everyone ahead of time so they can get all the ingredients. In their own kitchens, everyone can try their hand at cooking either a lovely dinner, brunch or nice Valentine’s Day dessert. Since everyone would be doing this individually over video conference, everyone can watch each other’s funny mistakes and wonderful triumphs while trying their hand at making something new.
Have a PowerPoint party.
This might seem boring since PowerPoints often mean classwork, but they can be used for fun as well. Presentations could be created in one of two ways. Each person is assigned a topic at random they have to take a passionate stance on (anything from how the last season of "The Bachelor" sucked or who the Zodiac Killer really is) or everyone can pick their own topic. This second option can lead to an even wilder mix of presentations. Presentations can work both online and in-person.
Follow a makeup tutorial.
The host of the party can pick a tutorial nobody has seen before, but tell everyone ahead of time what kind of makeup they’ll need. This could be something useful, such as finding a new look or new way to apply something, or it could be just for fun, such as finding the glitziest and glammiest tutorial around. Everyone can follow the same video at once, either in-person on a laptop or TV, or online through screen sharing on a video-calling platform, such as Zoom.
Wear that one outfit you never get to wear.
Whether online or in-person, put some effort into your look. A lot of events were canceled in the past year: vacations; dances; even weddings. So, take this night with the girls to show off the one swimsuit you never got to wear to the beach overseas, the snazzy ensemble you were going to wear to that one gala or the one bridesmaid’s dress you already paid for. Makeup and jewelry aren’t necessary if you don’t want to worry about them — don’t stress out about how you look around your friends. What matters is showing off a look you didn’t have the chance to before.
On the flip-side... have a pajama party.
Don’t want to dress up or don’t have fancy clothes from canceled events with you? No problem, just bring back a comfortable childhood favorite. Wear anything from a nice set of pajamas to a comfy crew-neck; whatever suits your fancy. This would also be the perfect outfit to simply sit around and talk in, share a movie or have some snacks or a cozy meal.