To quote the great Leslie Knope, Feb. 13 is a day for "Ladies celebrating ladies. It's like Lillith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas." Facebook must have gotten the memo, because today they rolled out the ability to send Valentines (or, you know, "Galentines") to all your best and brightest. Here's how to send Valentines on Facebook, because if there ever was a time to spread the love, it's now.
For this adorable little venture, Facebook has teamed with 10 artists and illustrators from New York and London "who have incorporated a mixture of styles to capture the many things Valentine's Day could mean to you," said Facebook in a recent statement. Joining the rank of event experiences like Chinese New Year, Friends Day (which usually coincides with Facebook's birthday) and of course the annual Year in Review, Facebook Valentines are hoping to up user engagement with the platform.
This may be the biggest boost yet — last year, a 25 percent increase in engagement announcements on Facebook the week of Valentine's Day in comparison with the previous two weeks, according to the Daily Dot.. Say what you will about love — clearly it's still alive somewhere.
So: How do you actually send these little virtual tokens of love? As is often the case with Facebook, it's easy; you just have to wait for the right event to pop up on your newsfeed first. At some point today and tomorrow, users will be greeted on their newsfeed with a "Happy Valentine's Day!" link from Facebook. Click on it, and you'll be directed to the official Valentine's Day e-card page, rife with love and hearts and the color pink. Very cute. Very fun. Very tempting to send a Valentine to literally everyone you know.
To personalize your Facebook Valentine, just click "Share" on the one you want to use and add a message before posting it on your loved one's wall. Or your frenemy's wall. Whatever, I'm not judging.
That GIF up there gives you an idea of what to expect; for more, check out the full video introducing this delightful little distraction:
If you still haven't had your fill of hearts, Facebook Messenger also has a selection of Valentine's Day-themed filters. So, you can share the love any which way. Totally up to you. Have fun, kids!
