There was once a time when a little side plate for your bread roll at the dinner table was the height of sophistication. When white napkins and prawn cocktails were classic and hostess trolleys an essential home item. Ahhh, the dinner party.
With countless articles on its demise in recent years, you could be forgiven for thinking it only exists in your great aunt’s memories and Keeping Up Appearances re-runs, but Terry’s Fabrics recently conducted a survey and can happily reveal that the dinner party is definitely. Not. Dead.
commissioned a survey of 1500 women on dinner party etiquette and found some surprising results. The most shocking was that 39% of women admitted to hosting a dinner party just to show off to their friends. Spending time with family and friends came first by just 3% more.
57% would rather be complimented on their stylish home décor than their food. That’s right. Although outfit and personal style came in second place, women wanted more to be complimented on their home and décor. So you can tell your partner that those cushions and curtains are an absolute must!
69% of women admit to taking a day off work to prepare for their dinner party. A dinner party requires effort and preparation, but just how much do you think our respondents were willing to put in? 69% said they would take a day off work in order to prepare. Which makes us think that their dinner parties must be spectacular!
The average spend on a dinner party is between £201 – £350. We assumed that throwing a dinner party would be an exercise in thrifty spending, with women choosing to be frugal and economical with their money. Wrong! A whopping 46% spend up to £350 on average for a dinner party. That’s some pretty expensive socializing!
84% have lied to their partner about how much they spend on a dinner party. Look away now other halves! 84% of you have lied to your partners about how much money you’ve spent on a dinner party. Yikes! Don’t think we can get you out of that one ladies.
Not complimenting the host is the worst thing a guest can do at a dinner party. As if the showing off aspect wasn’t enough, the survey also revealed that not complimenting the host was the worst thing a guest could do. Arguing with other guests and looking at their phone during the meal were a close 2nd and 3rd.
Leaving early was slightly more annoying than leaving late. Dinner parties, while not dead, aren’t the social gatherings they used to be. They’re now more of an exhibition of yourself and your home. So maybe we’re all secretly harbouring a bit of Hyacinth Bucket within us after all!
Survey conducted by www.terrysfabrics.co.uk