Traditions prove stronger than inflation, with households holding steady on the meals that define the season.
Holiday meals are a cultural cornerstone; a moment when families gather around recipes passed down through generations. From the roast in the oven to the sides on the table, these meals carry more than flavor. Every year, the holiday table serves as both a ritual and a reflection of what families value most – memory, meaning and a sense of belonging.
But in 2025, the holiday kitchen is operating under new financial pressure. Grocery prices continue to climb and household budgets are stretched thinner than ever. The question heading into this season is whether rising costs will change how Americans shop, cook and celebrate or if tradition is too deeply ingrained to bend.
A new survey from DuraPlas provides a clear answer. While two-thirds of Americans (66%) expect their holiday meal to cost more this year, nearly half say they’ll change nothing at all about their menu. In fact, a majority plan to keep their traditions exactly the same as past years. These results reveal a powerful tension between economic reality and cultural continuity, with tradition holding firm against inflationary headwinds.
“What we see in these results is remarkable consistency,” said Paul Phillips, president of DuraPlas. “Even as prices rise, families are unwilling to compromise on the foods and flavors that define the season. The holiday table, more than anything else, represents tradition and that is something people will protect at all costs.”
Purpose Of This Study
To explore how Americans are approaching holiday meals in the face of rising food prices, DuraPlas partnered with Pollfish on the 2025 Holiday Foods Survey. The online survey polled 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18+ to assess expectations around costs, menu choices, shopping habits, traditions and the role of convenience.
The goal was to uncover if economic pressure would reshape holiday rituals or if traditions would endure. The results suggest that while households anticipate higher costs, they remain committed to maintaining the gatherings and scratch-cooked dishes that define the season. The findings highlight the resilience of traditions and the unseen role of supply chains that make consistency possible.
Key Findings
- Costs Are Rising: Two-thirds of Americans (66%) expect their holiday meal to cost more this year, with nearly one in five bracing for much higher costs.
- Menus Hold Steady: Despite inflation, 43% say they will make no changes to their meals, choosing tradition over trimming.
- Traditions Stay Intact: A majority (57%) plan to keep their holiday rituals exactly the same as prior years.
- Taste Wins: Flavor is the top driver of holiday food choices at 46%, outpacing price (30%), tradition or brand loyalty (22%) and sustainability (3%).
- Premium Values Rise: Willingness to pay more for premium, sustainable ingredients jumped from 14.5% in the 2023 DuraPlas Holiday Foods Survey to 29% this year, showing quality still matters, even as prices climb.
- Shopping Is Stable: Most (59%) are buying ingredients at the same time as usual and 37% will be shopping earlier.
- Social Rhythms Are Unchanged: Nearly three-quarters (74%) will attend about the same number of holiday meals, and 61% expect seven or more guests to attend their main gathering.
- Homemade Dominates: 32% say all of their dishes are homemade, skyrocketing to 76% for at least half made from scratch.
- Delivery is Rare: Convenience hasn’t replaced tradition, as 71% have never used instant delivery for holiday meal needs.
Sticker Shock Meets Steady Menus
Rising food prices are an unavoidable reality in 2025. Families across the U.S. are entering the holiday season expecting higher grocery bills with 66% anticipating increased costs. For 19%, those costs will be much higher than last year. Yet despite this, nearly half of respondents (43%) say they will make no changes to their menus.
This decision highlights the symbolic role of holiday meals. A recipe isn’t simply a dish during gatherings. It’s a thread of continuity that links past celebrations with present ones. Families are willing to adjust budgets elsewhere rather than alter the dishes that make the holidays feel complete.
Taste Reigns Supreme Over Price
Perhaps the clearest sign of the holiday table’s resilience comes from what Americans value the most: taste. Nearly half of respondents (46%) ranked taste as their top priority when preparing their meals. Price, while important, trailed at 30%, with tradition and brand loyalty at 22%. Sustainability barely registered for respondents at just 3%.
While cost governs many aspects of daily decision making, the holidays are clearly different. For this brief timespan, flavor and satisfaction matter more than saving money. Families are unwilling to compromise on the tastes that define the season.
A Subtle Shift: Quality Over Compromise
Even in a season defined by rising costs, more Americans are choosing to invest in quality. When asked if they’d pay more for premium, sustainably sourced ingredients, 25% said yes, close to doubling the 14.5% in the 2023 DuraPlas Holiday Foods Survey. The finding suggests that while families are reluctant to change their traditional menus, they’re willing to spend a little extra to make sure those dishes taste and feel right.
At the same time, more households are letting price become a deciding factor in how they shop and prepare for the holidays. These traditional meals are safe for now. But if costs continue to rise, even the most time-honored recipes may not be immune.
Shopping and Social Rhythms Hold Steady
Holiday preparation usually follows familiar patterns. The survey shows little changes on that front for 2025. A majority of Americans (59%) plan to buy their ingredients at the same time as usual, while more than a third (37%) are gearing up to shop earlier than before. This uptick in earlier shopping likely reflects efforts to spread out expenses or ensure the availability of staple items.
The consistency carries into social routines as well. Nearly three-quarters of respondents (74%) expect to attend the same number of holiday gatherings as last year. The gatherings themselves are not shrinking either. Sixty-one percent anticipate seven or more people at their main meal. Large tables are holding strong.
Homemade Over Shortcuts
Scratch cooking is still the hallmark of the holidays, and convenience has yet to displace it. Nearly a third of Americans (32%) say all of their holiday dishes are homemade, and more than three-quarters (76%) prepare at least half from scratch. These results reflect that effort and authenticity matter most during the season.
At the same time, delivery apps, which may be a fixture of daily life, have barely earned their spot at the holiday dinner table. Seven in ten Americans (71%) report they have never used instant delivery for their holiday meals. Taken together, these findings tell a clear story: when it comes to holiday food, families aren’t looking for shortcuts. They value the planning, effort and rituals that make the holiday table feel meaningful and complete.
The Quiet Strength Behind Resilient Tables
The DuraPlas 2025 Holiday Foods Survey tells a clear story. Even as costs rise, Americans are unwilling to compromise on the foods, flavors and traditions that define the season. Families expect to pay more, yet menus hold steady, scratch cooking remains the norm and gatherings are as robust as ever. Taste still outweighs price, and convenience shortcuts like delivery have yet to take root in holiday culture.
What makes this resilience possible goes beyond sentiment. It depends on the reliability of the supply chains that deliver the ingredients families trust. From flour and sugar to fresh produce and poultry, these networks ensure that the recipes passed down through generations can be recreated year after year. Behind every holiday table is a quiet infrastructure of efficiency, allowing tradition to endure even amid economic pressure.
“Families may be facing higher costs, but they know the flavors and traditions that matter most will still be there,” Phillips said. “Behind every holiday table is a resilient system that makes those moments of belonging possible. That quiet strength is something worth celebrating, too.”
In a year when uncertainty dominates headlines, the holiday table offers a counterpoint: stability, continuity and trust. Rising costs may form the backdrop, but resilience — both in households and in supply chains — remains the defining story of the season.
Survey Methodology
DuraPlas used the third-party survey platform Pollfish to conduct an online survey in September 2025 of 1,000 U.S. adults aged 18+. Researchers reviewed all responses for quality control.
