National Ugly Sweater Day!

Guest Contributor: Christina Pay
USU Extension Assistant Professor​

When I was growing up it wasn’t unusual for me to hear my mom say, “Waste not, want not“. Growing up during the Great Depression these words had a practical significance for her as during those times of frugality it was considered a sin to waste anything.  Later on, while I was in college I came across the full quotation, “Waste not, want not. Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”  Basically, this phrase is to remind us that if we don’t waste it, we won’t be without it. How has our modern society of down-sizing and living minimally adapted to never getting rid of things we may need, for example that ugly sweater that Aunt Judy made for you several Christmas’ ago?  Well, they invented National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day! There truly is a National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day (NUCSD) and it is held the third Friday of December each year; a day when people across the country trade in their drab everyday clothes for something more festive and decidedly uglier. 

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​With Ugly Christmas Sweater Day parties and events, you may wonder how to squeeze more money into your holiday budget to purchase an ugly sweater.  The good news is there are inexpensive ways to celebrate NUCSD without going into holiday debt.
 

1. Visit a second-hand store. Search through your local thrift store for a holiday sweater that longs to be made new again! Whether covered in jingle-bells and bows or made of brightly colored yarn, the possibilities to restore these hidden gems to their former glory are endless.
2. Make your own.  Look in your closet or local thrift store for a basic sweater that can be upcycled into an ugly Christmas sweater. Gather your friends together, along with a hot glue gun, tinsel, ornaments, and even twinkly lights then get creative. Make it a contest to see who can design the worst (or best?) ugly sweater.
3. Have an ugly sweater fundraiser. Why not help others while you celebrate NUCSD? Find a cause that is important to you and host an ugly sweater 5K walk/run, or an ugly sweater bake sale, or even just an ugly sweater contest.  What better way to feel the spirit of the holidays while sporting your ugly sweater.

 
My mom may not have envisioned NUCSD as part of a penny-pinching effort while she was teaching me to be thrifty.  But, I think even she would be impressed by what can be done with an ugly sweater. 

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