When you think of celebrations, you might think of birthday parties, weddings or graduations. But a new VistaPrint survey* of 2,000 Brits from Gen Z to Baby Boomers reveals that celebrations have changed a lot in the last 20 years. So turn up the music, get your fancy dress out and discover how Brits are partying in 2024!
While birthday celebrations are still the number one event for Brits, over the past 20 years they have found more and more reasons to celebrate, from pet birthdays to… divorce parties? Cheers!
Brits over 40 ranked gender reveal parties (60%), Galentine’s Day (53%), half-birthdays (49%) and divorce parties (47%) as the top new celebrations that weren’t as popular (or didn’t exist!) in the early 2000s.
Brits really do love their pets! Pet birthday parties (13%) were voted the sixth most important celebration, more popular than prom or school leaving celebrations (11%) and hen or stag celebrations (5%).
Brits spend hundreds of pounds a year to organise and host celebrations, with birthdays, weddings and anniversaries being the most expensive. Gen Z spends the most per year, at £482, while Baby Boomers spend the least, at £259.
Across all generations, personalised items like banners, invites and thank you cards are becoming staples for celebrations. Brits are also investing in personalised, creative gifts and materials for their celebrations, reflecting a trend toward making each event feel special and unique.
11% of Brits have customised and purchased an item with someone’s face on it for a celebration. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a face is unforgettable!
Birthdays (65%), weddings (44%), anniversaries (24%) and christenings (21%) are the top celebrations one would recognise with a photo gift. But don’t forget our furry friends! 15% of Brits would also celebrate a pet’s birthday with a photo gift (just pawfect).
Personalised banners (38%), invites (29%) and thank you cards (25%) are the most purchased celebration add-ons.
Add a little personalisation to your next event with our collection of gifts you can easily customise for loved ones and friends.
What’s behind the change in the way we celebrate, and why? Social media is seen as a major force driving the transformation of celebrations, influencing not just what people celebrate but also how they plan, showcase and spend on these events.
Gen Z cares the most about the visuals on the day, with 21% saying that making their celebration aesthetically pleasing was important to them, and 9% admitting how it looks on social media was also important.
Baby Boomers care the most about spending time with their family and friends, with 72% of them saying that this was the most important aspect of a celebration, and 50% of Gen Z agree.
Social media is listed as the second biggest reason celebrations have changed since the 2000s, after expenses, with school celebrations (51%), christenings (46%) and engagement parties (44%) the most affected events.
More Brits have been to a pet birthday party (15%) than a christening (14%) in the past 12 months. And speaking of pet birthday parties, they’re costing Brits an average of £254.90 per year. Keeping Mittens happy ain’t cheap!
Younger Brits are the most committed group when it comes to budgeting and party planning, with 51% of Gen Z and Millennials saying it’s a good idea to set aside specific funds for celebrating each year.
Brits over 40 believe prom and school leaving celebrations have changed the most since the early 2000s, with 62% feeling they’ve become too expensive. This is no surprise, given that parents spend an average of £466 to make this day special for their children.
*Survey conducted between August 30th – September 10th, 2024, by research firm Walr Group, a data collection service powering agencies to create insights. Survey was quota-controlled by age, gender, and region, and the results were subsequently weighted accordingly.
Now that you know how to celebrate like it’s 2024, it’s time to make sure your next party is an event to remember. Whether you’re looking for banners, invites or a custom gift (or two!), explore our entire range today and make your celebration shine.
