What is the Tradition of Ugly Christmas Sweaters?
Although ugly Christmas sweaters have gained most of their popularity in the early 2000s, the tradition finds its roots much earlier — in the ‘50s. That’s when the first Christmas-themed sweaters became commercialized and got the name ‘Jingle Bell Sweaters.’ In essence, they were just as ugly as the ones we see now — lots of tinsel, badly-drawn reindeer, and Santa everywhere.
However, they didn’t become a massive trend until the ‘80s when various iconic shows of the decade, such as Saved by the Bell, The Cosby Show, The Huxtables, began dressing their cast in these atrocious garments. The sweaters were meant to be funny from the beginning, so their horrible designs were never seen as a serious fashion statement.
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Who Started the Ugly Sweater Trend?
Fast forward to the 21st century. While the ugly Christmas sweaters were gone for a while in the ‘90s (not due to a lack of horrible fashion), they resurfaced in the early 2000s. That’s when the very first ugly Christmas sweater party was held in Vancouver, British Columbia, to celebrate the cheesiness of the garment. Right after that, the term “ugly Christmas sweater” was trademarked by Chris Boyd and Jordan Birch, who launched the first-ever reported Christmas Sweater Party.
Soon, these iconic sweaters got their own national day, which is always celebrated on the third Friday of December. And now, these tacky Christmas sweaters are a celebrated part of each and every Christmas season, rendering any office party invalid without at least one Christmas tree, Frosty the Snowman, or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer sweater.
Why Do People Wear Ugly Christmas Sweaters?
At a glance, wearing the funniest Christmas sweater you can find might seem a bit counterintuitive. After all, we usually spend quite a bit of time trying not to look ridiculous! However, there’s no better season to have some fun than the Holiday season, when everyone’s in high spirits and the Winter’s darkest days are behind your cozy and warm windows.
In fact, we think that funny Christmas sweaters offer a very well-deserved comedic relief both to the stress we experience during Christmas gift shopping and plentiful parties and to the dark and dreary mid-winter weather. So why not catch that cheer bug and spread it around!
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