This is an absolutely ugly day – National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, that is! Tis the season to be tacky, fa la la la la la la la la! How did we ever get such a tradition? And where did it come from? We have the 1950s to thank.
“The story of the ugly Christmas sweater dates back to the 1950s, during the post-war boom that saw Christmas becoming increasingly commercialized. Dubbed “Jingle Bell Sweaters” at the time, these garments were far more subtle than today’s versions and failed to capture widespread popularity.
“However, some TV personalities—such as crooners Val Doonican and Andy Williams—helped plant the seeds for the tradition by embracing festive knitwear in their televised holiday specials.
“The 1980s marked the sweater’s first foray into mainstream culture, driven by its role in comedies and pop culture…While these sweaters weren’t considered fashionable, they radiated holiday spirit and began making appearances at office parties and family gatherings.
“However, the trend fizzled out in the 1990s. Christmas sweaters became a symbol of outdated fashion, relegated to the backs of closets or gifted only by clueless relatives. By the turn of the millennium, they were widely viewed as sartorial disasters…
“The early 2000s saw the birth of a new holiday phenomenon: the ugly Christmas sweater party…This tongue-in-cheek embrace of the garment sparked a shift in perspective, turning it from fashion faux pas to comedic holiday staple.
“It’s hard to say what triggered the change…but once someone wore the garment in a humorous way, people started seeing it as fun rather than awful.”
“What followed was an explosion of interest…The turning point came in 2012 when the UK charity Save the Children launched Christmas Jumper Day, an annual fundraiser encouraging people to wear their most outlandish sweaters for a good cause.
“Suddenly, the ugly sweater wasn’t just a joke—it was a movement…Equal parts obnoxious and wholesome, the ugly Christmas sweater has become a warm reminder that the holidays are about joy, laughter, and shared traditions!”1
Christmas really is a time of joy because of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. That’s where the real joy comes from. We can’t help but feel more upbeat during this season. And when we see someone in one of those ugly Christmas sweaters, it makes us smile.
However, we know that at Christmas time, sweaters aren’t the only things that can be ugly. Some people develop ugly attitudes. Just watch what happens when you tell some people that you decorated for Christmas in October! YIKES! You are going to get ridiculed and scolded by some. Amazingly, there is even some disdain over the ugly Christmas sweater.
None of this should surprise us because both attitudes are seen in the original Christmas story. When the angel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, their announcement began with a command in Luke 2:10. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” After seeing Jesus, Luke 2:20 says, “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”
Wise men showed up some time later. Let’s get this straight. They were NOT at the manger. They came to a house where the child was. (Matthew 2:9-11) Matthew 2:10 says, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”
If you remember, though, they stopped and asked King Herod for directions as to where the “King of the Jews” might be. After finding Jesus, they were to report back to him. Even though Herod said he wanted to come and worship, his intent was to kill Jesus. An angel of the Lord warned the wisemen about Herod so they didn’t return and give him the intel he desired. And, wow! He got ugly!
Matthew 2:16 says, “Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.”
With only six days till Christmas, let’s check our own attitudes. Are we filled with joy over the season or has our attitude soured, getting ugly enough to match our sweater? Joy is a choice so choose joy.
“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)
1https://culturacolectiva.com/en/history/ugly-sweater-christmas-story/
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images or created in Windows Copilot. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for our purposes.
