Research reveals this year’s Thanksgiving festive food trends

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

The study of 2,000 U.S. adults who celebrate the winter holidays found 42% plan to host in the upcoming months — 19% of whom have never hosted before.

Commissioned by The Honey Baked Ham Company (https://www.honeybaked.com) and conducted by Talker Research, the survey found 59% consider hosting guests a tradition of theirs. An additional 41% actually prefer creating new traditions instead of following old, established ones.

More than half of Americans (52%) also said food plays a big role in developing their traditions.

While most see turkey as the most “traditional” food for the holidays (92%), 49% said they’d prefer to serve ham as an alternative on Thanksgiving.

In fact, 73% said ham would likely be a main dish for them throughout the holiday season.

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

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

Similarly, 73% believe it’s 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.

One-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 coincidence. Meanwhile, 18% can’t remember how new traditions begin, and 15% have tried to replicate a tradition they’ve seen someone else partake in on social media or entertainment.

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

Survey methodology

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 Americans who celebrate winter holidays; the survey was commissioned by The Honey Baked Ham Company and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Oct. 22 and Oct. 27, 2024.

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The Honey Baked Ham Company Infographics: Hosting new traditions

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