3 Reasons to Host a Dinner Party

In the 1960’s, home dinner parties were a common occurrence. The dinner party would include a homemade three-course meal, and a few couples would eat together at the dining room table. After eating, the bridge table would be opened, and the entertainment would begin.

In the age of social media, dinner parties have ceased to be the norm. People have simply stopped inviting other people into their homes. It’s rare to be invited into someone’s home for tea or dinner. Coffee shop dates and restaurant gatherings have taken the place of traditional home gatherings. We have given up this tradition and forgotten the graces of hospitality.

Dinner Party

Why is this? Culturally, there simply isn’t the same expectation anymore. No one expects to be invited over to another’s home. Plus, many people are intimidated to clean their house and make food. However, something has been lost in our culture. As a society, we have become lonelier and less socially capable. The art of hospitality has been lost.

Dinner Parties can Alleviate Loneliness

So why not reverse the trend? If you take the risk to host a dinner party, you may find benefits that surprise you. Here are three reasons to consider hosting at your home:

1. Alleviate Loneliness

Hosting people in your home can bring much joy. If you choose to avoid the trap of perfection, you can enjoy the people who come into your home without over-stressing cleaning and meal prepping. Inviting others into our homes fights the loneliness epidemic that runs rampant in our culture.  

2. Freshen Up Your Home

Use hosting as an opportunity to clean up and declutter the surfaces of your home, apartment, or condo. Are there projects you’ve been working on that need to be finished? Setting a date for a hosting event can help expedite home projects. Again, it’s not about perfection. However, people feel valued when they walk into a home that has been somewhat prepared for their arrival. So use the event to your advantage and freshen up your home!

Cook food that you can prepare in advance.

3. Learn to Cook for a Group

Many people don’t have others over because the thought of cooking for a group is overwhelming. Take the pressure off and cook something easy! BBQ outside, prepare a crockpot meal or casserole ahead of time. Learning to cook for a group is a valuable skill. A way to reduce costs for a group meal is to ask your guests to bring a side dish or dessert. When the cooking is done in advance or the responsibility is spread out, the pressure of hosting is reduced and shared.

Be mindful of the hosting experience and ask yourself these questions after:

1. Is your heart renewed by conversation and giving to others through the hosting experience?

2. What would you do again?

3. Is there anything that caused stress that you could eliminate the next time?

If you’re new at hosting, you will likely be surprised at the social and emotional benefits associated with the experience. The joy and connection are likely to outweigh the work associated with hosting if you have the right mindset—alleviating loneliness, freshening up your home, and learning to cook for a group.