Have you ever wondered why people wear ugly Christmas sweaters and how it originated? Most people have worn an ugly Christmas sweater before, or even been to an ugly Christmas sweater themed party, but why did we ever start wearing these sweaters in the first place and when?
People started wearing these sweaters in the 1950’s and then they were also called jingle bell sweaters. While they started to be made in the 1950’s they weren’t extremely popular until around the 1980’s when these jingle bell sweaters hit mainstream. But in the 1980’s they were not considered ugly and were in style and many people wore these sweaters.
As of December 2022, 13 percent of adult Americans were found in ugly Christmas sweaters this holiday season, and it has been estimated in America there are 6 million or more ugly Christmas sweaters sold almost every year. Even though they are considered tacky, many people enjoy hosting ugly Christms sweater parties and even for spirit days at school and enjoy wearing them to this day. You can also find these sweaters almost anywhere during the holiday season. Many of these sweaters have a holiday saying, or Christmas characters. While these sweaters are aimed towards Christmas there are also sweaters for any other holiday for the winter season. These sweaters can have anything from jingle bells to Christmas lights.
“I have been to an ugly Christmas sweater party, as an activity we all had to put numbers on our sweaters and we voted for the best one,”Temprance Max, sixth grader, said.
“While yes some sweaters can be tacky,” Max explained, “ I do think some sweaters are extremely cute and I feel that they are making a comeback because I have seen more people in them this year than I did last year and we aren’t extremely close to Christmas yet.”
“I have worn an ugly Christmas sweater and it had a cat on it with a Christmas tree on it,” Alyssa Forrest, seventh grader, said. She also said, “While yes I think ugly Christmas sweaters are tacky, because that is the point, and I like the concept.”
“My ugly Christmas sweater had a very silly moose on it,” Piper Fichter, seventh grader, said., “While I do think some ugly Christmas sweaters are ugly, some are cute, even though I think some are cute they are definitely not making a comeback.”
Ugly Christmas sweaters were made to be an expression of cheer during the holiday season. While we may not all like ugly Christmas sweaters there are a lot of people who enjoy this tradition. The whole reason everybody started wearing these sweaters and became fashionable is because Bill Cosby wore one of these sweaters on The Cosby Show and shortly after they were in style.
What is the meaning of an ugly Christmas sweater party and what do you do there? Usually these parties are just a regular Christmas party where everyone just so happens to be wearing ugly Chrstmas sweaters and at some you would do fun activities. While in the 80’s these sweaters were cool and fashionable, by the 90’s these sweaters are something you expected your grandma to show up wearing at the door. Will you be seen in an ugly Christmas sweater this holiday season?
