Is this the year you’re taking on the duties of hosting Thanksgiving for the first time? New research finds that 42% of Americans plan to host friends and family during the holiday season, and 19% have never hosted before.
According to the survey of 2,000 U.S. adults who celebrate the winter holidays:
- More than half (59%) consider hosting guests one of their traditions.
- Another 41% say they prefer establishing new traditions instead of following old ones.
- Food plays an important part in developing traditions for 52% of Americans.
- About a third (31%) say their new traditions tend to develop by accident or coincidence, but 18% confess they can’t remember how new traditions got started and 15% have tried to recreate a tradition they’ve seen someone else do on social media or entertainment.
- When it comes to Thanksgiving, 92% see turkey as the most “traditional” food for the holiday, but 49% admit they’d rather serve ham instead.
Regardless of what’s on the table, respondents have some strong ideas about what it takes to be a “good” host:
- For 73% of those polled, it’s important to have the “perfect” food menu for guests, and 60% do that by making multiple versions of meals to accommodate guests with different dietary needs.
- Seven in 10 think being a good host means keeping things informal and inviting guests to wear whatever they want.
- Only 20% claim to have “mastered the art” of hosting, and feel extremely confident in their skills.
- Another 47% say they mostly know what they’re doing, but admit they improvise when needed.
Scott’s Thoughts:
- No one wants me to host Thanksgiving, they only ask me to bring the rolls and I’m fine if we keep that arrangement for the rest of time.
- Are you hosting Thanksgiving for the first time this year? Do you think you need to start with a low-key holiday first, like literally any other holiday?
- What do you think it takes to be a “good host?” Are you one? Who’s the best host in your family?