Where did ugly Christmas sweaters come from?

Every year, people love wearing their unique Christmas sweaters during the holidays. People even throw ugly Christmas sweater parties! But when did this trend begin?

Words:

• When something is tacky, it’s not very fashionable or tasteful.
• Pine trees are the type of trees that are used for Christmas trees.
• When something is dorky or lame, it means it is uncool or a little silly.
• Something emerges when it is invented or becomes popular.
• The butt of the joke is the thing or person who is being made fun of.
• When something resurfaces, it comes back after being gone for a while.
• When a store stocks up, it means they buy a lot of a product to sell it to customers.
• An entrepreneur is someone who starts or has their own business.

1. Which statement about the history of the ugly Christmas sweater is true?

A. Christmas sweaters were a Millennial invention.

B. Christmas sweaters popped up in the 1950s but the ugly sweaters became popular in the 1980s.

C. Many films in the 90s showed dorky characters in Christmas sweaters, which made them more popular.

D. Christmas sweaters were invented by big brands in the early 2000s.

2. People often wear ugly Christmas sweaters in an ‘ironic’ way. What does this mean?

A. They are making a statement to show they love Christmas.

B. They know the sweater is ugly and wear it as a joke.

C. They wear the sweater to look like the characters from the movie.

D. What was once seen as ugly, suddenly becomes beautiful when it’s a trend.

3. What happened in Vancouver in 2001?

4. What did the company Tipsy Elves do?

A: They make Christmas sweaters for brands like Forever 21, Asos and Nordström.

B: They started stocking Christmas sweaters in vintage shops.

C: They started a brand that only makes Christmas sweaters.

D. They started a TV program called Shark Tank.

5. Why is it better to be invited to a Christmas Sweater party now, compared to a few years ago?