Well I broke.  I caved.  I gave in.  I did it!  I bought an ugly Christmas sweater.  After being critical and judgmental and somewhat biased, I found myself with the increasing number of people who are giving into this weird “culture of Christmas” behavior.  And I did it because many parties are building their themes around them and I am attending one this year.

The ironic thing is, while I was teaching elementary school, we wore and decorated ourselves up in celebration of the holiday, for the kids,  before things became too politically correct.  I had sweaters back in the 70’s and 80’s which would have fit right in with today’s looks.  But the difference back then is, we knew we were “styling”.  Today, it is to see who is the ugliest, craziest, and most outlandish.  But alas over the years and certainly when I retired I got rid of all of the “teacher clothings’ that I wore for the benefit of the children, telling myself, that was a “closed chapter.”  Who knew?  Facing my reality, I think I will always be a child at heart.

These creative creations can be bought almost anywhere, certainly in stores and on-line.  Or if you are imaginative,  you can create your own.  When it comes to tackiness, there are apparently no limits, especially if you look around you.  The only gauge in determining appropriateness is your level of personal taste.

As I started off saying, many holiday parties are thematic being built around the “Ugly Christmas Sweater”…  Fundraisers, office parties, gatherings, etc.  It seems to be mounting in popularity.  So, I know there are many out there who will say, “Me?  Never!”  But who knows?  Get invited to that right social event and you might find yourselves browsing online or heading to that sweater rack in your nearest store to claim your own, and then eventually you will be looking in the mirror and asking yourself, “What have I done?”.

The key is to have fun within your levels of comfort and enjoy this wondrous season of celebrating the birth of a King!