“What shall we watch?” I ask my friend. She looks at me and shrugs. I shrug back. We have reached an all too familiar impasse. We scrunch up our noses, and, with indecision threatening to defeat us once again, immediately become the vultures in the Jungle Book who are actually the Beatles: “I don’t know – what do you wanna do?” “I don’t know – what do you wanna watch?”

In such situations, someone always has to pipe up and make a decision, and this time it was me. “Parks and Recreation?” I offer. My friend hasn’t seen it, but she’s happy to give it a try.

By the end of the week, she is texting me quotes from the show, watching interviews with the cast on YouTube, and reminding me, oh so wisely, that ovaries should always, always come before brovaries. I have, inadvertently, created a monster.

Yet, unlike Frankenstein, I can only look on proudly, as my magnum opus quotes Leslie Knope back at me, and sends me Jean Ralphio memes on Facebook. This, I think to myself, must be how a lioness feels when she sees her cub take down its first gazelle. It’s a magical feeling.

There are a lot of reasons to love Parks and Rec. And Amy Poehler is only one through six. The glorious abundance of breakfast food is number seven. Galentine’s Day is number eight.

Galentine’s Day, which falls on the 13th February every year, is like a bunch of lionesses, just kicking it round the watering hole, over waffles. They’ve ditched their lion companions for the day, and left them to look after all the cubs. They’re letting their (non-existent) manes down, and are ready to drink that watering hole dry.

Or, in human terms, it’s a bunch of gals, just kicking it at the local watering hole, over waffles. Lioness or gal – there is, in this instance at least, very little difference.

If it’s not already clear to you, Galentine’s Day is the gal equivalent of Valentine’s Day. Instead of a romantic candlelit dinner for two (or a large Domino’s pizza for one, depending on your situation), you get together with all your gal pals for a morning of breakfast food and sheer revelry. It’s the talisman protecting you from all the violent pink and candy hearts which start clubbing you over the head to usher in this august holiday as soon as the New Year begins.

Galentine’s Day is, of course, first and foremost, about having fun. It is really just an excuse for ditching work, catching up with friends, and day drinking. But, never one to let a teachable moment pass me by, I think we could also stand to learn a thing or two from it as well.

There is a lot to be said for maintaining strong bonds with friends. For putting time into relationships with people you’ve known since you thought it was acceptable to use the toilet at the same time as another human being. Or for investing in friendships which still occasionally know the odd awkward moment.

Such things are precious, yet fragile. They are liable to be weathered by all kinds of external forces – work, family, boyfriends, girlfriends – not injurious in themselves, but which nevertheless take their toll. Without proper care and attention, our friendships are vulnerable to knocks and scrapes, scratches and scuffs. They become dull, and gather dust. Eventually, we hide them away in drawers because we forget their true worth.

But that is where Galentine’s Day comes in. If Parks and Rec has anything to do with it, 13th February will become our yearly reminder to give our friendships a quick buff and polish. To give them back their shine. It’s no magic formula, of course. Just like Valentine’s Day cannot save a failing relationship, Galentine’s Day cannot breathe life into a friendship where all parties concerned have already started mourning. But that’s not to say it’s not important, all the same.

Galentine’s Day is an occasion to turn to the people you like – your secret keepers and treasure minders – and say to one another, “What we have is precious, and I want to hold on to it.” You stand in a circle, hold each other’s hands, and use your love, your laughter, your happiness and your memories as a shield to protect your friendship from everything that seeks to tarnish it.

Or, you order waffles and whipped cream all round, and tell each other why you’re all the best people you know. Either way, those lions don’t get a look-in.