For many people, purchasing or designing ugly Christmas sweaters has become a popular way to get into the holiday spirit, much like baking cookies, listening to carols, or decorating the Christmas tree. The history of ugly Christmas sweaters can be traced back to 1980’s American sitcoms, in which characters often wore tacky, oversized sweaters with outrageous designs. Soon, the trend caught on, and ugly sweaters have become a beloved holiday tradition around the world!
If you choose to create your own ugly Christmas sweater, the rule of thumb is the gaudier, the better! No embellishments are off-limits. You can add jingle bells, tinsel, candy canes, pom-poms, elves, snowmen, or a string of multi-colored lights to make your sweater as bright and eye-catching as possible. If you prefer to buy an ugly sweater instead, then head over to second-hand shops or even more well-known stores, such as H&M, to find the perfect sweater for a holiday party or for a family photo around the Christmas tree. Remember, instead of buying a new sweater you’ll probably only wear once, reuse one you already have at home.
It is also not uncommon to find ugly sweater parties or competitions. In fact, Vancouver, Canada, hosts a famous ugly Christmas sweater party for the public each year. The trend of celebrating ugly Christmas sweaters has even reached national television in the United States. For example, Jimmy Kimmel, a popular talk show host and comedian, has a 12 days of Christmas sweaters segment on his show starting in December.
Excited about the prospect of designing your own ugly sweater? Well, national ugly sweater day is December 20th, and America House will be hosting Ugly Sweater Party. Be sure to mark your calendars get your ugly on and come over to have fun!
In case all your sweaters are cute here is a short video with ideas how to make it ugly. You are welcome to use our Makerspace equipment and materials. We have all sorts of vinyl, vinyl cutter and heat press to make your own custom ugly sweater.
Vocabulary words:
Tacky (adj.): not stylish
Outrageous (adj.): shocking
Rule of thumb (expression): a general rule
Gaudy (adj.): eye-catching, shocking
Embellishments (noun.): decorations
Tinsel (noun): lightweight, sparkly, very thin strands of plastic that are painted silver and used to decorate for the holidays
Prospect (noun): idea
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A Texas native, Bianca Navia is currently in her junior year at Arizona State University, pursuing a dual major in Political Science and Global Studies. She is most passionate about international affairs, diplomacy, foreign languages, traveling, and teaching. A fun fact about her? She’s the oldest of four sisters in a big Cuban-Italian-American family!