PwC's Holiday Outlook 2026 survey of over 4,000 U.S. consumers found that 63% of Gen Z respondents value a shared meal more than a physical gift this year, part of a broader shift toward screen-free, in-person holiday experiences over spending on gadgets and gift cards.
What's trending
PwC surveyed more than 4,000 U.S. consumers in June 2026 and found that 63% of Gen Z respondents say a shared meal matters more to them this year than a physical present. More broadly, 64% of all consumers say they're prioritizing screen-free, nostalgic experiences over gadgets and gift cards this season, and that number climbs to 78% among Gen Z specifically. Eighty-one percent of Gen Z also said they're prioritizing offline, in-person activities this holiday season.
Why it's resonating
The pattern fits a generation that grew up online making a deliberate ask for the opposite: real rooms, real food, real company. PwC's researchers describe it as a pull toward tradition and in-person moments, even as overall gift budgets are expected to shrink slightly this year. It's less about rejecting gifts outright and more about where people are choosing to put their limited holiday time and budget — and increasingly, that's toward the table rather than the tree.
Where a home-hosted menu fits
If a shared meal is doing more of the emotional heavy lifting this year, the table itself becomes worth a bit more thought than usual, even for a casual, low-key gathering like an ugly sweater party. A printed menu card is a small, low-cost way to make a home-hosted dinner feel like an occasion rather than an afterthought, which is roughly the point of the trend PwC is describing. The Christmas Menu Template, Ugly Sweater Party Menu, Editable Christmas Dinner Menu Printable is built for exactly that kind of low-effort, high-warmth gathering.
The bottom line
If this year's holiday mood really is about presence over presents, the events people host at home, not just the gifts they buy, are where that shows up first. A shared table with a bit of intention behind it fits the moment better than another wrapped box.