Shockingly low number of Americans will host family, friends at Thanksgiving poll

According to a new study, one in five Americans plan to host friends and family for the first time this holiday season.

The survey of 2,000 American adults celebrating the winter holidays found that 42% plan to wait in the coming months – 19% of whom have never waited before.

Commissioned by The Honey Baked Ham Company and conducted by Talker Research, the survey found that 59% consider entertaining guests a tradition.

An additional 41% actually prefer to create new traditions rather than follow old, established ones.

More than half of Americans (52%) also said that food plays a large role in the development of their traditions.

While most view turkey as the most “traditional” holiday food (92%), 49% said they would prefer to serve bacon as an alternative at Thanksgiving.

In fact, 73% said bacon is likely to be a staple for them throughout the holiday season.

“The best traditions are created by serving your guests delicious and memorable food,” said Tripp McLaughlin, Director of Marketing, Honey Baked Ham Company. “We encourage hosts to continue to put food front and center at all their gatherings this holiday season.”

The study also revealed exactly what it takes to be a “good” host. Seven in 10 believe this means keeping things casual, inviting guests to wear whatever they want.

Similarly, 73% believe it is important to have the “perfect” food menu for guests, and 60% said they prepare multiple versions of meals to accommodate guests with different dietary needs.

A fifth claimed to have “mastered the art” of hosting, feeling extremely confident in their abilities. Another 47% said they mostly know what they’re doing, but improvise when they need to.

Respondents were also asked how their traditions develop.

A third (31%) said their new traditions tend to develop by accident or chance.

Meanwhile, 18% can’t remember how new traditions start, and 15% have tried to repeat a tradition they’ve seen someone else participate in on social or entertainment media.

“Hosting family and friends is becoming a growing trend among people, and it’s clear that people are starting to master what it takes to be the perfect host,” continued McLaughlin. “Being a good host means creating a space for yourself and your guests that is accommodating and welcoming with food at the heart of the experience.”