When is the best time to leave a New Year’s Eve party?

If you’re going to a New Year’s Eve party this year, make sure you leave within an hour after the ball drops.

A new survey looked at 2,000 adults’ plans’ for the special night and found the appropriate time to leave: within an hour after midnight, according to half of the respondents (52%).

According to results, nearly a third of people who celebrate New Year’s Eve will host a party this year (29%).

Those who usually host, typically invite about 19 guests – although a third of hosts go a bit overboard with the guest list (31%) – and this year, 71% of regular hosts said they plan on inviting more people than usual.

Themed parties are still in according to 32% of those who celebrate, saying they’re likely to host a themed event this year.

Besides a good theme, the top party essentials are, of course, food/snacks (84%) followed by music (76%) and cocktails/drinks (67%).

The survey run by OnePoll for Chinet also found that when it comes to being a good guest at a New Year’s Eve bash, people should bring a bottle of wine or alcohol (58%) or a dessert (48%) for the host to put out.

Similarly, 48% think it’s rude to stay too late, but another 45% think leaving before midnight is equally unmannerly.

Overall, most Americans agree that New Year’s Eve is the one night of the year when no one should be alone (55%).

Most have had to spend New Year’s Eve alone before (59%), and 54% of those respondents recall feeling lonely.

The night has had a history of being special, especially for the six in 10 Americans who have made a friend or met a partner at an end-of-year party.

People reflected on some of their favorite memories of New Year’s Eve spent with others like “barbecuing and doing fireworks with family,” “having all my sisters come for a party and then sleep over at my house” and “when I kissed a stranger who later became my true love.”

“New Year’s Eve is a special time to round out the holiday season as you ring in a new year,” said Melissa Rakos, product manager for the Chinet® brand. “By using products that help make cleanup easier, like disposable dinnerware, people can worry less about the mess and focus on making memories with loved ones.” 

Looking forward, most respondents are optimistic that next year will be better than this year (57%) – although 45% shared the same sentiment for this year, but this only turned out to be true for 32% of survey-takers.

A third of Americans already have their resolutions planned out (36%), sharing their goals of making smaller, incremental changes (21%) as opposed to major ones (18%) – but 28% are going to implement a mix of both.

More than half of respondents said one of their top priorities for the new year is to practice making more sustainable choices (57%) like reducing food waste (55%), using reusable bags more often (45%) and cutting down on disposable eatery (32%).

“Sometimes hosts need an easy solution. Just as consumers are committed to creating more thoughtful habits, they should have options that support these initiatives,” said Rakos. “Ridding unrecyclable foam items completely is an easy way for people to get started with making these changes in their everyday lives.”

WHAT WOULD YOU BRING TO A NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY?

• A bottle of wine/alcohol – 58%
• Dessert – 48%
• A main/side dish – 45%
• Party favors (e.g., glow sticks, hats, glasses, etc.) – 27%
• Eatery (e.g., plates, cups, utensils, etc.) – 26%