The tradition most families know nowadays as ugly Christmas sweaters started in the 1950s. In the 1980s, the new most fashionable item you could own around Christmas is those beloved sweaters.

One of the main reasons this item became so popular was because of the famous actors wearing them in their shows around Christmas time. Many were influenced to participate in the new fun style for Christmas. Some people found it amusing to be different by wearing those sweaters compared to other families where classy atire was demanded.

The reason for its high popularity, to begin with, was because of the originator, Bill Cosby, who first wore one on his show, “The Cosby Show”. Not long after, for the second time another actor, Chevy Chase was seen wearing a sweater of the same kind in his film “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”. After those shows went viral, the viewers were happy to were the same pieces of clothing as theirfavorite characters. The ugly sweater then officially became a trend. 

Even though those sweaters were originally called “jingle bell sweaters”’, they started being called ugly sweaters because people found them to be more fitting considering their unattractive designs. 

Even with its high peak of popularity, the trend died down when the 90’s came around. Teens would call it an “old people trend” and you’d rarely see the youth wearing them. Most people who used to wear them were the older people in families.

Christmas ugly sweater parties finally made a comeback after two men held an “Ugly Sweater” house party in 2002 situated in Vancouver. The citizens,excited to reconnect with an old tradition from their childhoods,  were more than happy to participate. Hundreds of people attended and succeeded in making a new national ugly sweater day, celebrated on the 3rd Friday of December, which turned out to be on the 15th this year.