Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but we can give you a few more reasons to hold onto that antique Rudolph sweater that’s stinking up your bottom drawer. Remember Mark in Bridget Jones’ Diary? He showed up in just such a sweater at a holiday party. Bridget approached, saying, “Maybe this time Mum had got it right…maybe this was the mysterious Mr. Right I’d been waiting my whole life to meet.” Then poor Mark turns around, red-nosed sweater speaking louder than he ever could, and Bridget says, “Or not.” Not to worry, Mark’s sweater didn’t ruin things so much as Bridget’s constant pratering on, but you get the point—there’s nothing like a screaming holiday sweater to stop a whole roomful of people in its tracks. So, besides looking like a walking Christmas tree, what is the point?
To introduce a little holiday cheer, of course! So, put on your twinkly lights, tuck a battery pack in your back pocket and light up the night (or office!)! Here are a few things to do this year once you’ve decked yourself (and your halls):
1. Take a picture! Come on–you have to document the moment you broke out the dancing snowman, the Rudolph nose, the jelly-belly Santa sweater! The Brown Bag wants to see! We’re not completely selfish either—we’ll give you something back! Post your very best-est ugly holiday sweater photo to our Facebook page and we’ll gather them up into the most obnoxiously festive, little FB photo album you’ve ever seen; then you stop by, like your favorites and on December 21st, we’ll tally the votes! The pic with the most “likes” wins FREE lunch at The Brown Bag for a week (up to $75)! Cha-ching and happy holidays to you! Post your pics to our Facebook page by December 20th to enter!
2. Thinking you can’t participate in the ugly sweater festivities because you don’t do Christmas? Please. People of all faiths (and no faiths) cansuit up anyway.Break out your Chanukah sweater! Make your wool menorah bright, spin some yarn into a dayglo-pink dreidel! Don some antlers, hang some tinsel, light some birthday candles for your December day—there’s no reason to forego the fiesta. All are welcome to embrace the holiday kitsch!
3. Have a party! Invite your friends, co-workers, neighbors, whomever; offer prizes for most original, best handmade, coolest vintage, brightest, best teacher-sweater, ugliest all-around, the list goes on. Need some party ideas? Check out Oh My! Creative’s website for some cool ideas. Whip up some cocktails, put the hot chocolate on to warm and watch your guests walk the red, fur-lined carpet!
4. Join a parade. Enter a race. Go to a Salt-N-Pepa concert (yes, we’re serious). Have a beer. Fight cancer. There are so many things you can do in your holiday sweater! So, put it on already and get out there!
5. When the holidays are over, what then? Donate them to a good cause? Consignment store? Save them and hope to win the Ugly Sweater Contest in another venue next year? How about you upcycle those sweaters! Make some mittens, slippers, jar cozies, or a sweater for your dog. No idea how to do any of those things? Then just them give them to someone who does. Put a query out on Facebook or Twitter—trust us, someone you know would love them!
We’re digging our sweaters out. We’re lighting them up. We’re singing along with our Frosty the Snowman jumpers, spinning dreidels, and ho-ho-ho-ing all the way. Now it’s your turn. Drag yours out of storage, go shopping, get crafty, but whatever you do—send us a picture! We’re waiting…
