Let’s be honest. It wouldn’t be the holiday season without ugly Christmas sweaters.

Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t deny that there’s something inherently nostalgic, iconic, and joyfully obnoxious about ugly Christmas sweaters. And while you may know the power of the ugly Christmas sweater, you probably don’t know where they came from.

To take a look at the history of ugly Christmas sweaters, we have to jingle all the way back to the 1950’s. This is when “Jingle Bell Sweaters,” as they were known, first made their way onto the scene. It wasn’t until the 80’s however, that they really made a splash.

Don’t mind us while we add them to the list of tacky things that the 80’s gifted us with.

Making appearances in TV, movies and other pop culture, the popularity of the sweaters had quite the moment in the ‘80s before declining again in the ‘90s.

Fast forward to the early 2000s, where holiday favourites like Bridget Jones Diary re-introduced the sweaters back into the spotlight. And alas, a star was (re)born. Soon, ugly Christmas sweaters started hitting the shelves of both fast fashion and designer retailers and the bodies of our favourite celebrities.

That brings us to today, where ugly Christmas sweaters are as much a part of the holiday season as mistletoe and advent calendars.

There you have it. The history of ugly Christmas sweaters aka the perfect conversation starter at your next holiday party.