Ugly Christmas sweaters also first known as “Jingle Bell Sweaters” first came about around the 1950s, but then became popular in the 1980s.

Bill Cosby, is known as the father of ugly Christmas sweaters himself because he wore one on The Cosby Show in the 1980s. Doing so, sparked lots of interest in these sweaters. This sweater trend was brief and soon died down in the 1990s. However, the tradition to wear such tacky and obnoxious, yet still Christmas-themed sweaters started in Vancouver, Canada in 2002, after social media skyrocketed the trend of ugly Christmas sweaters again. Though “ugly” is in the name, these sweaters were never intended to be purposefully ugly, they were just a way to be creative and artistic during the Christmas times.

Ugly Christmas sweaters contain lots of pop, some would say. There can be reindeers, Santa Claus himself, candy canes, tinsel, pom poms, and more on these sweaters. Nowadays though, you want your sweater to be as ugly as possible, “the uglier the better”. Some families and friends even hold ugly Christmas sweater parties to be surrounded by loved ones while creating the ugliest sweater possible. Chris Boyd and John Birch were actually the first people to ever hold an ugly sweater party. You can knit then decorate them however you see fit, or even buy them in stores. In fact, the most expensive ugly Christmas sweater is worth up to $40,000. Said sweater was handmade by a London artist.

Though ugly Christmas sweaters quickly died down, they found their way back up the popularity chain for its wholesome yet creative purpose, which is why some of us include ugly sweaters in our traditions.