National Girlfriends Day 2027 is on Sunday

About National Girlfriends Day

The day began with the older meaning of "girlfriends" as a woman's close female friends. Women mark it with lunches, nights out, trips or messages to the friends who have stood by them. Over time, especially on social media, it has also become a day to post about a romantic girlfriend, which is why it is often paired with National Boyfriend Day on October 3.

Its origins are disputed. A summary by London's Evening Standard set out competing accounts: one credits the mother-and-daughter authors Kathleen Laing and Elizabeth Butterfield, who are said to have announced a girlfriends' day in 2002 alongside their book Girlfriends Getaway, while another credits the founders of the women's website sisterwoman.com in 2006. A third person has also claimed to have created it in 2003. None of these accounts is backed by an official record, and the National Day Calendar registry describes the day without naming a founder.

National Girlfriends Day is unofficial and has no government recognition. It is also separate from Galentine's Day on February 13, which comes from a 2010 episode of Parks and Recreation, though both center on friendships between women.

Sources: Evening Standard via Yahoo News: When is National Girlfriend Day, and how did it begin?, National Day Calendar registry: National Girlfriends Day. How we check dates.

How to mark National Girlfriends Day

• Organize a lunch, picnic or game night with women friends you don't see often enough.
• Send a voice note or card to a friend who supported you through a hard time.
• Introduce two friends from different parts of your life who you think would get along.
• Plan a day trip or a weekend away together, even a modest one close to home.
• If you're using the day for a partner, plan a simple date or write down what you appreciate about her.

National Girlfriends Day dates