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On the third Friday of December each year, people all over the U.S. decide to don hilariously hideous Xmas sweaters and inflict this sight on everyone around them. From garish green and red colors to pom-poms and nonsensical designs, there seems to be no end to the dreadfully silly designs on display. You’ll see these knit monstrosities at the office, out on the street, and especially at holiday parties. This isn’t happening by accident. The fashion-savvy and playful hearted participants in this trend are celebrating National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day.
When Did Ugly Sweaters First Enter Public Consciousness?
How did National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day get it start? Like many trends, this one began in fits and starts and has waxed and waned in popularity over the decades. The ugly sweater first became a household meme in the 1980s with The Cosby Show’s, Bill Huxtable leading the way. Chevy Chase’s character in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation added the holiday twist to this look. These well-known leading actors were playing decidedly unhip characters, who had no fashion sense at all. But for some reason, the idea of wearing awful sweaters as an ironic statement, somehow caught on. For a while, ugly holiday sweaters for women and men were easy to find. Then things kind of petered out in the nineties. Perhaps the trend was no match for a decade that was having a love affair with drab emo apparel?
The First Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Revives the Trend
In the early 2000s, the first ugly holiday sweater party
was held in Vancouver, Canada. All the guests were instructed to wear a hideous
sweater, and interest in ugly sweaters was reborn. Today, the party is still an
annual hit and the event routinely sells out the Commodore Ballroom. Not
surprisingly, the U.S. picked up on the idea and now there are thousands of
ugly sweater parties held all over the nation each year. They can be
fundraisers, office holiday parties, community events, pub crawls, or private
affairs. The only rule is that they take place in mid-December and everyone
MUST wear a tacky sweater. You can read
more here.
How about some New Year’s Folklore and Superstitions!
First Kiss: One of the more popular beliefs is that kissing your beloved at the stroke of midnight ensures twelve months of continuing affection. Failing to do so is said to produce the opposite effect.
Debt Free: Never begin the New Year with unpaid debts.
Bare Cupboards? Empty cupboards at the turn of the year foretell a year of poverty.
Comings and Goings: The first person to enter your home after midnight foretells the kind of luck you’ll have in the coming year. A tall, dark, handsome male bearing small gifts is said to bring the best luck. According to this same tradition, no one should leave the house until someone first enters from outside, and nothing should be removed from the house on New Year’s Day.
Air It Out! Opening all doors and windows at midnight lets the old year escape.
Lucky Duck! Babies born on New Year’s Day are said to have the best luck throughout their lives.
Best Foot Forward: A Polish tradition states that if you wake up early on New Year’s Day, you will wake up early for the rest of the year. And if you touch the floor with the right foot when getting up from bed, you could expect a lot of good luck for whole new year
You can read more here.
Here are some Superstitions that are attached to the beginning of the New Year!
Letting the Old Year Out: At midnight, all the doors of a house must be opened to let the old year escape unimpeded. He must leave before the New Year can come in, says popular wisdom, so doors are flung open to assist him in finding his way out.
Loud Noise: Make as much noise as possible at midnight. You’re not just celebrating; you’re scaring away evil spirits, so do a darned good job of it! According to widespread superstition, evil spirits and the Devil himself hate loud noise. We celebrate by making as much of a din as possible not just as an expression of joy at having a new year at our disposal, but also to make sure Old Scratch and his minions don’t stick around. (Church bells are rung on a couple’s wedding day for the same reason.)
The Weather: Examine the weather in the early hours of New Year’s Day. If the wind blows from the south, there will be fine weather and prosperous times in the year ahead. If it comes from the north, it will be a year of bad weather. The wind blowing from the east brings famine and calamities. Strangest of all, if the wind blows from the west, the year will witness plentiful supplies of milk and fish but will also see the death of a very important person. If there’s no wind at all, a joyful and prosperous year may be expected by all.
Born on January 1: Babies born on this day will always have luck on their side.
You can find more here.
Many New Year’s traditions surround food. Here are a few:
The tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight comes from Spain. Revelers stuff their mouths with 12 grapes in the final moments of the year—one grape for every chime of the clock!
In the southern US black-eyed peas and pork foretell good fortune.
In Scotland—where Hogmanay is celebrated—people parade down the streets swinging balls of fire.
Eating any ring-shaped treat (such as a doughnut) symbolizes “coming full circle” and leads to good fortune.
In Dutch homes, fritters called olie bollen are served.
The Irish enjoy pastries called bannocks.
In India and Pakistan rice promises prosperity.
Apples dipped in honey are a Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) tradition.
In Swiss homes dollops of whipped cream, symbolizing the richness of the year to come, are dropped on the floors—and allowed to remain there.
You can read more here.
10 Food Traditions for Good Luck in the New Year
Buttered Bread: New Years Day in Ireland is also known as Day of the Buttered Bread (or Sandwich, depending on the Gaelic translation you use.) Tradition says buttered bread placed outside the front door symbolizes an absence of hunger in the household, and presumably for the year to come.
Grapes/Raisins: Tradition
in Spain says 12 grapes or raisins eaten just before midnight (one at each
chime of the clock) will bring good fortune for all 12 months of the year, as
long as you finish all 12 before the final stroke!
Greens: Because
of their deep emerald color (think money), hearty greens like kale, spinach,
and collards are believed to bring wealth (And of course health!) to those who
enjoy it early and often in the New Year. For legume or meat-based dishes, a
garnish of parsley is also said to ward off evil spirits.
Pork: Bring on the bacon! Because pigs root forward while they forage for food (as opposed to cows, who stand still, or chickens, who scratch backwards), pork in all forms is enjoyed by many hoping to embrace the challenges and adventures that await in the coming year.
Long Noodles:
Signifying longevity in Asian culture, a stir-fry of unbroken noodles is a
tradition believed to bring good health and luck in the New Year. Those who can
eat at least one long noodle without chewing or breaking it are said to enjoy
the longest lives and best luck of all!
Lentils:
Resembling tiny coins, the custom of enjoying lentils in the New Year is a
common Italian tradition said to bring wealth.
Cornbread:
Golden yellow and inarguably delicious, cornbread is especially popular in the
South. Because it’s color is similar to that of gold, this bread is enjoyed by
those hopeful for a prosperous year.
Round Foods:
Cakes, pastries, cookies, and round fruits like clementines are often enjoyed
on New Year’s Day as their shape signifies that the old year has come to a
close and the New Year holds the promise of a fresh start.
Whole Fish: In Chinese culture, serving fish whole (both head and tail intact) symbolizes prosperity, abundance, and a good year to come (from start to finish!)
The information came from here.
New Year's Eve traditions around the world said to bring you good luck
Colombia
A common tradition in Colombia is to run hard and fast around the house with a
suitcase in hand to ensure a year of traveling. Great for someone who suffers
from wanderlust.
Denmark
No, the Danes do not smash plates on each others' doors, despite the
Viking-esque rumors. They do, however, stand on chairs and jump off of them at
the stroke of midnight. By taking your feet off the ground in the final moments
of the year, it is said that you'll leave all the bad spirits behind as you
"jump into" a fresh, new year.
Germany
In Germany, many people rub chimney ashes on their foreheads for good fortune
and health. Like many Nordic countries, they also indulge in a fortune telling
ritual by pouring molten lead into cold water, and the shape of the cooled
metal predicts your fortune. Shapes such as a heart or anchor will predict new
love or hard times ahead, respectively.
Greece
In Greece, the pomegranate has held strong symbolic meaning since ancient
times. A common tradition on New Year's Eve is to throw pomegranates on the
ground, and break them apart. The more they burst, the more abundance your
household will have.
Ireland
A very old custom, and still practiced by some today in Ireland, is for the
unmarried women to place mistletoe leaves under their pillow. This is believed
to bring good fortune, hoping to find love in the new year.
Mexico
Mexicans celebrate by eating 12 grapes, one for each of the 12 clock chimes at
midnight, making a wish with each one. The grapes also represent the 12 months
of the new year, and each wish is to ensure a lucky month. However, a sour
grape will represent a particularly unlucky month and a wish unfulfilled.
Russia
New Year's Eve is a big deal in Russia, and is very similar to how we celebrate
Christmas in the West. One wish-making custom on New Year's Eve is to write
your wish on a piece of paper, burn it, and mix the ashes in your champagne
glass before drinking it at the stroke of midnight.
Scotland
In Scotland, they celebrate Hogmanay, and the most popular tradition is the
"first-footing," which involves the first person to "cross the
threshold" (enter the front door) of a friend's house that will determine
that household's fortune of the new year. The first foot is expected to bring
luck-bearing gifts of coal, salt, bread, whiskey and a coin, and enter saying "A
happy New Year and good tidings to you and yours!"
United States
Passed down from English and German folklore, Americans kissing their special
someone at midnight has been a common tradition said to bring good fortune and
erase bitter memories. Originally, it was believed that the first person you
encountered at the start of the new year would determine whether you had good
or bad luck in the new year, so you'd kiss them to seal the deal. Over time,
the custom changed to selecting who you wanted your good fortune to be shared
with.
Venezuela
Venezuelans wear bright yellow underwear for luck, and typically showcase it
for the world to see. Whether that means wearing underwear on the outside or no
pants at all, each are supposedly good luck. Other variations of the same
ritual include wearing different colors for what you want to have in the new
year: red for love, gold for wealth, and white for peace and a fresh start.
You can view all of this information here.
