Christmas jumper facts for kids
An example of a 1980s Christmas jumper
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A Christmas jumper (also known as a Christmas sweater) is a special type of sweater decorated with Christmas or winter designs. People often wear these fun jumpers during the holiday season. Many Christmas jumpers are knitted, and some traditional ones have a roll neck (like a turtleneck).
Contents
The History of Christmas Jumpers
How Christmas Jumpers Became Popular
Christmas jumpers first became popular in the United Kingdom during the 1980s. TV presenters like Gyles Brandreth and Timmy Mallett started wearing them during Christmas shows. Singers such as Andy Williams and Val Doonican also wore them in their TV Christmas specials, which helped make them famous. In Ireland, the host of The Late Late Show wears a very fancy Christmas jumper for their special Christmas Late Late Toy Show.
Many people used to think of Christmas jumpers as handmade gifts from older relatives. Sometimes, these jumpers were seen as funny or slightly embarrassing presents.
The Comeback of Christmas Jumpers
During the 1990s and early 2000s, Christmas jumpers went out of style. They were sometimes shown as something to be embarrassed about, like in the 2001 movie Bridget Jones's Diary.
However, in the 2010s, Christmas jumpers became popular again! They gained a fun, quirky appeal. The online store Amazon reported a huge increase in sales (600%) in 2011. Many celebrities also started wearing them, making them even more trendy. In the United States, people even hold "Ugly Christmas Sweater Contests" every year.
In 2012, a British newspaper called The Daily Telegraph said that Christmas jumpers were "this season's must have." A clothing store called Topman sold 34 different designs and saw sales go up by 54% compared to the year before. Even fancy fashion brands like Burberry and Jil Sander started making Christmas jumpers. The metal band Slayer even released one as part of their merchandise!
Christmas Jumpers for Charity
The charity Save the Children holds an event called Christmas Jumper Day every December. Their slogan is "Make the world better with a sweater." This day encourages people to wear their Christmas jumpers and raise money for the charity. The New York Times reported in 2012 that many Christmas jumpers are sold on special websites that have "ugly-sweater" themed names.
Thinking About the Environment
In 2019, an environmental charity called Hubbub shared some important information. They found that up to 95% of Christmas jumpers are made using plastic materials. They also reported that about two-fifths (40%) of these jumpers are only worn once. A spokesperson for Hubbub said that Christmas jumpers are "one of the worst examples of fast fashion." Fast fashion means clothes that are made cheaply and quickly, often worn only a few times, and then thrown away. Hubbub encouraged people to "swap, buy second-hand or re-wear" their jumpers instead of buying new ones.
