In a recent article published by Vox, author Nisha Chittal explains how millennials “killed” the traditional dinner party and how (and why) it’s been reinvented and replaced by more casual gatherings. There’s been a lot of discussion recently about the behavior of younger generations and how that behavior is directly driven by values (shameless plug for our Sustainable Insights Report!) and the way that we gather together over a meal is no exception. For so many years, dinner parties were formal, multi-course affairs and, as Chittal writes, “having a dinner party was a way to show off your extensive social connections, your wealth, your place in society. It was a sign of having good taste — which is ultimately all about class anxiety.” Many millennials, on the other hand, were coming of age during/just after the Great Recession and had far more financial stress than worry about anything else. And with home ownership at a record low, people had neither space nor funds to throw anything lavish. Instead, entertaining has become more focused on time spent together and connection, rather than which fine china is on the table, and millennial or not, that’s something worth celebrating.
