Craig Baird
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The ugly Christmas sweater has existed for as long as there have been sweaters and Christmas.

But the trend of the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party began in Canada thanks to three Vancouver men.

The stereotypical Christmas sweater first began to emerge in the 1950s.

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Craig Baird
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Sometimes called Jingle Bell Sweaters, the word ugly is relative as many were quite artistic.

Over the years, these sweaters rose and fell in popularity, and were featured in television and movies including Bridget Jones's Diary in 2001. They were often used as a source of comedy.

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Craig Baird
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Chris Boyd, Scott Lindsay and Jordan Birch of Vancouver came along with the idea of the Christmas Sweater Party in 2002.
Boyd had seen many elderly residents wearing bright Christmas sweaters while he worked at Parkdale Mall.

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Craig Baird
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He called Lindsay and Birch and they came up with the idea for the party.

The two men held their Ugly Christmas Sweater Parties at various locations, while also raising money for charities. Over the course of 20 years, they have raised over $250,000 for charity.

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Craig Baird
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The idea instantly became popular and spread throughout Canada and internationally.

Many of these parties are held to support charitable causes, and companies such as Wal-Mart now sell sweaters specifically for the parties and the idea of "ugly" Christmas sweaters.

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Craig Baird
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Each year, many people also go to thrift stores to find vintage Christmas sweaters, rather than buying the sweater new.

The concept of the Ugly Christmas Sweater has reached a point where there is now an official National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, held every third Friday in December.

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Craig Baird
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As for Boyd and Birch, they wrote a children's book, The Ugly Christmas Sweater Rebellion, which teaches children to give, connect and be kind. It was released in 2020.
Part of the proceeds go to charity. You can find it here: https://www.uglychristmass...

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Craig Baird
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If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support my work with a donation at https://www.buymeacoffee.c...

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