Ugly Sweater Day
About Ugly Sweater Day
When is Ugly Sweater Day? This fun holiday is celebrated on the third Friday in December
Sure, the holidays have you stressed out to the max. There’s so much yet to do before the big day. But, you need a break. It’s time to have a little holiday fun. Today is that day. It is Ugly Sweater Day. Some people incorrectly refer to it as National Ugly Sweater Day. On this December holiday, we encourage you to make a fashion statement. Put on the ugliest sweater in your closet. Wear it with pride all day and night long. Better still, hold a party where everyone can show off their gaudy and revolting sweaters.
They say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Well, when it comes to Christmas sweaters, little holiday eggnog helps to improve their good looks and allure. Interest in ugly sweaters begins as soon as the holidays arrive. It reaches a crescendo during the holiday party season just before Christmas. Ugly sweater parties and contests abound. Then, it disappears with the start of the new year. People who receive a gaudy sweater as a holiday gift might wear it once in front of the “gift” giver. Then, it is hidden as far back in the closet as possible. It will remain hidden until next December arrives.
One wonders who creates these warm, yet abominable sweaters. The likely culprit who comes to mind is your dear, sweet grandmother. Remember in your childhood, Grandma knitted sweaters for you. Your loving and doting Grandmom decorated them with everything imaginable. And, you couldn’t wait until you outgrew them, only to find another hideous sweater from her under the Christmas tree next year. Did Grandma really think the sweaters were cute and adorable? Or, did she know what she was doing.? After a few years, you realize that “Sweet” little granny is really “Sinister” little granny.
The History of Ugly Sweaters
In the 1950s, Jingle Bell sweaters became a fashion trend. However, no one knows why, this trend evolved into the ugly sweater. By the 1980s, ugly sweaters hit the fashion market. Dr. Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show on television, and Clark Griswold on the classic movie Christmas Vacation the main stars wore these sweaters. This fueled their quirky popularity. By the 1990s, the ugly sweater craze began to fade. Then, it came roaring back in the early 2000s, thanks to several movies and television shows where characters wore them.
In 2002, two men from Vancouver, Canada created Tacky Sweater Day. It was created as a fundraiser to raise money for a friend’s cancer treatment. Over the next ten years, the name of the holiday evolved into Ugly Sweater Day. In 2012, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson officially proclaimed Ugly Sweater Day as an annual event.
The popularity of Ugly Sweater Day grew exponentially. Grandma was not the only one to make them. Thanks to consumer demand, stores began to sell them. Nowadays, people strut around the office and shopping malls proudly displaying their gaudy, garish, grotesque, and unsightly sweaters. Ugly Sweater parties abound, complete with prizes for the ugliest ones. They are auctioned off in charity events. And even nighttime talk show hosts joke about them. They have skits giving them away. Certainly, everyone gets in on the fun.
How to Celebrate Ugly Sweater Day
It’s the middle of the holiday shopping season and everybody is stressed to the max. Celebrated amidst the hectic holiday season, National Ugly Sweater Day arrives at just the right time. It gives us a chance to take a deep breath and have a little fun before finishing up the final hectic shopping for gifts and stocking stuffers. Here are some ways you can celebrate and enjoy this fun holiday:
- Do you have a gaudy and grotesque sweater? If not, go out and buy one. There are plenty on the market to choose from.
- Make one yourself. US our imagination to make it as hideous and unsightly as possible.
- Grandmothers, it’s time to get your knitting needles out and get to work. Your grandkids are counting on you.
- Give an ugly sweater as a gift.
- Regift one that you have and give it to someone. See National Regifting Day.
- Hold an Ugly Sweater party. Award a prize to the ugliest one.
- Wrap it up as a gift for a White Elephant party. See White Elephant Day.
- Hold a charitable fundraiser to support cancer treatment efforts, or for other diseases.
- Don’t forget to post pictures on social media.
Today's Chuckles
“Phil lost his wife’s audiobook. He’ll never hear the end of it.” – – Author Unknown
“Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.” – – Margaret Mead
History and Origin of Ugly Sweater Day
As previously mentioned, the roots of this holiday began in Vancouver, Canada. Two men held a “Tacky Sweater” party as a fundraiser to help pay for a friend’s cancer treatment. Then in 2012, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson declared Ugly Sweater Day. This holiday became an annual event. Like other important holidays, its popularity quickly spread.
In the early 2020s, some websites began to incorrectly refer to this as National Ugly Sweater Day.
There is no documentation confirming this holiday to be a “National” day. We found no congressional records or presidential proclamation.
Definition of “National” Days – Learn why it is so important to distinguish true national days.
Related Holidays
People who like this fun-filled Ugly Sweater Day will also like:
National Re-gifting Day – We know the perfect item to re-gift.
Have a very Happy National Ugly Sweater Day
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