Over a third of Millennials have yet to host Christmas dinner, according to research

Britain is in a Christmas hosting crisis, as a third of both Millennials (38 per cent) and Generation X (33 per cent) have never hosted the biggest dinner of the year before.

In fact, 40 per cent of non-hosts don’t think they will ever play host for Christmas dinner, and four out of five (83 per cent) don’t plan to take the plunge for the first time this year, according to new research from supermarket Sainsbury’s where 2,000 UK adults were surveyed.

A number of reasons (or some might say excuses) have been listed as to why they are unable to host Christmas dinner.

Almost a quarter blame a lack of space for not hosting (23 per cent) and a further one in five (20 per cent) wouldn’t like the pressure of hosting - understandable.

The absence of Christmas hosts is also down to a lack of confidence in the kitchen (14 per cent), whilst a further third (33 per cent) said they don’t know how to cook Christmas lunch, which rises for Generation Z (42 per cent) and Millennials (39 per cent).

And it's Millennials who are now feeling the pressure to host their first Christmas from their friends and family (31 per cent).

When it comes to hosting Christmas dinner, over a third of Millennials have yet to do this.iStockphoto by Getty Images

It seems the older generations are fed up with having hosting duties each year as a quarter (26 per cent) of Baby Boomer hosts Christmas and over a third (35 per cent) of Generation X wished their family and loved ones who have not yet hosted would take on the responsibility this year.

For the same generation, two in five are frequently the hosts in their family and would like to take a break from doing so (42 per cent), as would almost a third of the Silent Generation (31 per cent).

With nearly one in 10 (8 per cent) between the age 35-44 still living in their childhood home, it’s no wonder the older generation are still picking up the slack when it comes to hosting. This is compounded by the almost one in 10 (nine per cent) that don’t feel comfortable hosting in rented accommodation and are waiting until they own a property.

Claire Hughes, Director of Product & Innovation at Sainsbury’s said: “Food and drink is at the heart of Sainsbury’s and we’re on a mission to get people hosting this Christmas. Our research shows that Brits think it’s more of a mountain than it is, and with a few little tips and tricks, it can be a breeze.

"That’s why we’ve launched the Ho Ho Hosting masterclasses, to share the knowledge we’ve built over many years and get Brits to take on the hosting challenge this festive season. Having hosted for many years, I can promise them it’s worth it!”

‘Ho Ho Hosting masterclasses with Sainsbury’s’ Details:

Opening Days: Tuesday 21^st November – Wednesday 22^nd November

Address: Studio 8, 6 Hornsey St, London N7 8GR

Nearest Stations: Holloway Road (Piccadilly line) is a 3-minute walk, and Highbury & Islington (Victoria & London Overground) is a 10-minute walk.

Session Times: 16:00-18:00 and 19:30-21:30

Cost: FREE – a £10 booking deposit for two people (£5pp), which will be refunded providing the booking is fulfilledor can be donated to Comic Relief via Sainsbury’s Nourish the Nation programme

Classes can be booked here.

Guests will also be able to donate to Sainsbury’s Nourish the Nation programme through the booking platform Design My Night, where there’ll be an optional donation upon checkout, as well as via a QR code at the event itself.

Working in partnership with Comic Relief, the programme supports organisations such as Feeding Britain and The Bread and Butter Thing in their work to help alleviate food poverty in communities across the country.

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