National Girlfriend Day: Celebrating Female Friendships

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Karen Lin

Instagram 101 | Apr 19, 2024

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There’s nothing quite like the fierceness and loyalty of female friendships. Boys come and go and do nothing but break hearts. But your girl squad will always be there to pick you back up and remind you that you’re a superstar. Your besties are there through thick and thin, and you deserve to celebrate that kind of special bond. And that’s exactly what National Girlfriend Day is for!

While the term “girlfriend” might have a romantic connotation, this unofficial holiday is all about your favorite female friends. On this day, girls all around the world express their gratitude for the most special women in their lives. Be it through small gifts, outings, or posts on social media, every girl’s girl shows up for her best friends.

Have you thought about how to celebrate Girlfriend Day this year or what to post on Instagram to commemorate it? If you haven’t started planning how to honor your female friendships on this holiday, this guide is for you. Keep reading to learn more about this quirky, modern “holiday” and what you can do to celebrate it.

Four female friends having a group hug.

When Is National Girlfriend Day?

If you haven’t heard of this man-made holiday before, you might be asking, “When is National Girlfriend Day anyway?” People celebrate this day for female friendships on August 1st of the year. It’s kind of like Galentine’s Day, except it doesn’t associate with any other bigger holiday.

No one knows for sure where this unofficial holiday originated. According to National Today, the strongest claim is from a certain Mistress Susan—a sexologist who designated the date in 2004. Since then, people all around the world have celebrated Girlfriend Day with their besties.

This day is meant to call up all your ride-or-die besties and express gratitude for having them in your life. Many girl gangs go out and do something fun on this day to celebrate their friendship. By posting about the special women in your life, you also show support and solidarity for the sisterhood.

Cute Content With the Girls: National GF Day Ideas for Instagram

Posting on social media is a fantastic way to put the spotlight on your best female friends on Girlfriend Day. It allows you to document your favorite moments with them while showing them off to the world.

Are you thinking of making a cute Girlfriend Day post for your main girlies? Here are bold, sassy National GF Day ideas if you want to post something to commemorate the holiday on Instagram:

  • A collection of photos with your best friends. Gather your favorite photos or videos with your homegirls and curate a post to show them off to the world. You can do this either through a carousel post, Instagram Reel, or photo dump. Add a nice caption for friends telling stories of how they’ve uplifted you over the years.
  • Post a shout-out to your mom, sisters, and female cousins. Girlfriend Day isn’t just for friends—it’s for all the special women who have shaped your life. So, don’t be afraid to post a Story or photo with these amazing ladies. Remember to show appreciation for these women with a heartfelt caption!
  • Show a throwback photo of you and your best friend. The best of friends go way back, whether you were childhood friends or high school frenemies. Dig up a cute photo from years ago with your best friend and post it on Girlfriend Day. Write out a short but sweet message of thanks to her for being with you all this time.

Don’t forget to tag people in your posts if they’re part of the media you post. Also, expect there to be tons of posts by other women celebrating their female friendships. Hype up your friends’ content by commenting on their posts. It’s a small but impactful way to support each other on this day made for women.

Two teenage girls taking a selfie in a library.

How To Celebrate National Girlfriend Day With Your Besties

Don’t just celebrate your favorite friendships online. Try to clear out your schedule and spend time with your best friends in person on Girlfriend Day, too. But don’t just have an ordinary hangout like you always do. Plan something bigger than usual to bond as a group and connect on a deeper level to honor your friendship. Girlfriend Day is oh-so-special—make a day of it and do something more memorable (and Instagrammable!).

Don’t have a clue about how to celebrate National Girlfriend Day? Here are some things you can plan out with your besties to maximize your time together on this cute, quirky holiday.

Go Out and Have a Classic Girls Night Out (GNO)

If you’re lucky, Girlfriend Day will fall on a Friday and you can go on a GNO with your besties. That means dressing to the nines, going out on the town, and popping champagne all night long. And there’s one golden rule during a girls’ night out—no boyfriends allowed. You can enjoy yourself and your girls, as well as a night of free-flowing drinks, dancing, and karaoke.

Remember to take selfies and bathroom photos showing off your and your best friends’ hottest outfits! Post them on Instagram with bold, baddie captions for everyone to see.

Have a Spa Day With Your Best Friends

Do you and your girls have no energy to dress up and go out? That’s fine, too. Instead, treat yourselves to a full day at the spa. Get massages, facials, and nail treatments while catching up with these special women. It’s an awesome way to unwind, especially if all of you have been so busy.

The Instagram content for a day like this is going to be immaculate. Picture this—you and your besties in matching white robes with stunning nails and cucumber slices over your eyes. It makes for the perfect, relaxing aesthetic for a Girlfriend Day photo dump!

Two women relaxing and lying down with cucumber slices over their eyes.

Have a Cute Brunch at Your Favorite Café

Have you ever heard of the phrase “ladies who lunch”? Well, this Girlfriend Day, be “boss babes who brunch” with your best female friends. Book a reservation at your favorite café and meet up for a scrumptious meal first thing in the morning. This is perfect for friend groups whose love language is food and cute, aesthetic restaurants and brunch places!

Before you dig into your meal, make sure to take a flat-lay photo of your food. This will make for a terrific addition to your Girlfriend Day content on Instagram.

Two people at a restaurant with brunch food, croissants, and coffee on their table.

Plan a Girls-Only Trip to the Beach

Do you and your besties love to travel? Plan a road trip and hit one of the best spots to go as a squad—the beach. Bring out those cute bikinis and do all sorts of fun beach activities. Lounge in daybeds to get a bronze, sunkissed tan. Drink fruit shakes all day. Swim in the ocean and take tons of photos with your girlfriends. Girlfriend Day happens over in the summertime, making this the perfect outing to celebrate the occasion with your squad.

A beach trip isn’t just fun—it also makes for awesome photos and videos for your Girlfriend Day Instagram post. Document your entire outing with the girls, from the drive to the beach to your matching swimwear. Then, post away on Instagram Stories!

Six women with colorful bathing suits sitting next to each other on the beach.

Have a Picnic at a Quaint Garden

If you and your friends love the outdoors, pack a basket full of your fave snacks and finger foods. Then, head to a cute park or garden for a picnic. Oh, and don’t forget the champagne to spruce things up a bit!

You and your girlfriends can even coordinate matching dresses for the occasion. Flowy, pastel dresses would be awesome for this type of girls’ day out. Take lots of photos and post to your heart’s content as you munch on snacks and enjoy the garden breeze.

A group of female friends laughing and holding up glasses of champagne at an outdoor picnic.

Can Girlfriend Day Ever Be Taken in a Romantic Context?

Yes, it’s actually quite common for men to show extra appreciation for their girlfriends during Girlfriend Day. This holiday was designed for women to celebrate their special friendships. But hey, the lover girls deserve some sugar from their boyfriends, too! You might as well do it on a day when everyone is already celebrating the special women in their lives.

Men in long-term relationships may go above and beyond to show sweetness and affection to their ladies on August 1st. They’ll post cute photo dumps and Stories on Instagram, just like girls do for their friends. It’s also the perfect day for grand gestures, just in case you can’t wait until Valentine’s Day the following year.

Is There Such a Thing as National Boyfriend Day?

Yes, people all around the world also celebrate a little something called National Boyfriend Day. This is another unofficial holiday and is commemorated on October 3rd of each year. And just like Girlfriend Day, no one knows for certain how this holiday came about.

Unlike Girlfriend Day, which is meant to celebrate the bond of friendship, this holiday is for romantic partners. Girls pull out all the stops to make their man feel extra special on National Boyfriend Day. And it’s not just through date nights and presents. Women will also sometimes post cute content and a little PDA on social media to express affection for their beaus. I mean, hey, they deserve it after pampering their girlfriends all year round, right?

Show Off Your Favorite Female Friendships on IG This Girlfriend Day!

Girlfriend Day is for going out and having fun with your best friends in the world. Whether it’s over drinks, at brunch, or out on the town, you should celebrate this holiday with your homegirls. And then after that, it’s all about posting those glamorous, gorgeous photos with them on Instagram!

Take a few minutes to post something cute and appreciative about your favorite female friends on Girlfriend Day. Not only will this make your besties feel valued, but it also makes a statement about girl power and support. This Girlfriend Day, celebrate the special bond only women have and scream it to the Instagram rooftops.

Are you not getting enough traction on your National Girlfriend Day, no matter how radiant and sassy they are? Enlist the help of our growth service to boost your following and get more eyes on your posts.

At Path Social, we push out your content to people we know will love what you have to offer. This doesn’t just boost engagement on your posts but increases your followers, too. Soon, you’ll have a solid community of fans waiting on your cute photos with your besties every Girlfriend Day. Gain more followers today with our help!