2021 Home For the Holidays

2021 Home for the Holidays Lincoln Daily News November 24, 2021 Page 15 Taking it one step further, two men in Vancouver, British Columbia, Chris Boyd and Jordan Birch, take credit for throwing the first ever Christmas Sweater Party. They wanted to create a feel-good festive party and included sweaters as part of the event. The co-founders of the party idea have even trademarked the phrases “ugly Christmas sweater” and “ugly Christmas sweater party.” The idea caught on in Canada and the U.S. and seemingly overnight parties were massive events spreading Christmas cheer. Taking place annually in the Commodore Ballroom, the event has become a fundraiser for the Make-a- Wish Foundation of Canada raising money to grant wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. Currently popular, the trend sees no sign of slowing down. Jimmy Fallon has created “The 12 Days of Christmas Sweaters” for his late-night talk show and MTV has a teen documentary titled “True Life: I Love Ugly Christmas Sweaters?” Retail stores sell brand new designs, so shoppers don’t have to scavenge in thrift stores. Celebrities and TV make ugly Christmas sweaters a common Christmas sight. On the third Friday of December people all over the U.S. wear their hilarious sweaters for everyone to see. There seems to be no rules for how gaudy the sweaters can be. Some believe the sweater must be worn no matter what the circumstance of the day brings: school, work, funeral, wedding. While many don’t take on that extreme, they are happy to participate in office parties, community events, private affairs, and fundraisers. Having a day set aside seems to make it easier to get people excited about this Christmas tradition. Christmas can be a time of stress and anxiety about the financial drain gift-giving can cause and the abundant amount of family interaction. The Christmas sweater awakens a warm and fuzzy feeling amongst family and friends, alike. From parties to family pictures, the ugly Christmas sweater is here to stay.