The ugly Christmas sweater is becoming an omnipresent item of the holiday season. Many people are buying and borrowing tacky sweaters to wear to ugly Christmas sweater themed parties. Telltale signs of these unpleasant sweaters are cartoon snowmen with fuzzy pom poms for decoration, Christmas trees decorated with red and green felt applique, Santa with a fuzzy beard, and of course Rudolph with his bright red nose.
The garments are also usually itchy, too large or too small, and uncomfortable to wear. If they are so ugly and uncomfortable, why is there such a craze over ugly Christmas sweaters?
Well, if you have ever been invited to an ugly Christmas sweater party you would know that it is an entertaining tradition. You do not have to worry about dressing up or looking nice; you can basically look ridiculous for a night and fit in with everyone else.
Actually, the worse you look, the more popular you are at the party. The sweaters give the party a more fun atmosphere, than any other holiday party.
Your first step in attending one of these parties is obtaining an ugly sweater. One option is making your own garment. Taking a trip to the arts and crafts store to pick out silly decorations to put on your sweater is a fun tradition to do with friends.
You have pom poms, colored felt, bows, ornaments, ribbons, bells, candy canes, feathers, garland, beads, tinsel, lights and much more to choose from. Once you choose the décor, grab a glue gun or sewing kit and get to work. It’s all about making your sweater the most obnoxious garment at the party.
If you do not have time to craft your own ugly sweater, consignment and thrift stores are always an option to find something cheap and hideous.
But, if you do not want to spend money you could search through your parents or a grandparent’s drawers for sweaters that they think are, of course, beautiful.
However, maybe avoid asking , say, your mom or grandmother, if you can borrow one of their “ugly Christmas sweaters” for a party because they will just respond with, “none of my sweaters are ugly, they are all very tasteful.” This will definitely prevent you from borrowing one of their sweaters and possibly hurting their feelings.
A competition to see who has the most unattractive garment is always a riot at these parties. Some of the best ones have the obnoxious blinking lights, draped tinsel falling every time they move and fake snow glued on in awkward places.
When you win the ugliest sweater contest and are awarded with a ribbon, hang it on your wall with pride and brag about to all of your friends. Keep the holiday tradition going by reminding them that you had the most obnoxious sweater that year and they didn’t.
Now that the tradition has been around for a few years, people are becoming more creative and extreme by decorating entire outfits with holiday cheer. Vests, skirts, boots, high heels and dresses are all becoming highly popular to wear, which is why the ugly Christmas party is expanding its horizons for the future.
Since this trend has become so popular in the past few decades, there is even a National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, which falls on the second Friday of every December. This year it is December 12, the last day of classes here on campus!
So, what better way to end the semester’s classes than celebrating this day by wearing your ugliest Christmas sweater to class? Be yourself, spread holiday cheer, and most importantly, have fun.
Even though it may seem socially awkward, it conjures up a warm and fuzzy holiday spirit and for many it evokes memories of their childhood. It is a practical and cozy tradition for the chilly winter weather.
People love to hate ugly Christmas sweaters during the holiday season. So, what better way to de-stress than to throw on the most hideous sweater you can find or make and have a laugh with family and friends.
A party gives everyone a chance to celebrate the holidays while wearing sweaters that may spread a little too much holiday cheer.
