The Dobbins family have again produced a great display of Christmas lights at their home at 6 Herbert Road, Emerson Park.
This year are collecting for King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity Christmas Appeal, which raises funds for gifts for children in hospital over the festive period.
Please give generously!
The history of Christmas jumpers is a strange but brilliant mix of tradition, pop culture, kitsch, and a healthy dose of irony. Here’s a quick trip through their timeline:
The Origins: Practical, Not Festive (Pre-20th Century)
Before they were festive fashion statements, woolly jumpers were simply about staying warm. In Nordic countries and the British Isles, hand-knitted sweaters with wintery patterns (like snowflakes or reindeer) were common — but they weren’t made for Christmas specifically. They were just good at keeping you warm while you waited for the coal fire to kick in.
1950s–60s: The TV Era and the ‘Nice’ Christmas Jumper
Christmas jumpers started getting a bit more festive after World War II, when the rise of television brought wholesome family entertainers into living rooms. Think Bing Crosby in White Christmas (1954) — he wore tasteful knits with a seasonal twist, and so did many a well-behaved dad in post-war Britain and the US. These early Christmas jumpers were more “cosy and charming” than “loud and silly”.
1980s: Enter the Cheese
This is when things got weird, in the best possible way. The 1980s brought over-the-top patterns, bright colours, and designs that looked like Christmas had exploded onto your chest. It was the golden age of naff. TV presenters like Gyles Brandreth, and fictional characters like The Grotbags Show cast, rocked jumpers with snowmen, holly, and flashing lights — all unironically.
1990s–Early 2000s: The Jumper Falls Out of Favour
For a while, Christmas jumpers were seen as something your nan knitted and made you wear in the family photo. They were daggy, embarrassing, and definitely not cool. They lived on in sitcoms (think Mark Darcy’s infamous reindeer jumper in Bridget Jones’s Diary) but mostly as a joke.
2010s: Ironic Revival and Office Party Must-Have
Around the early 2010s, funny Christmas jumpers made a huge comeback — but this time with tongue firmly in cheek. Ugly Christmas Jumper parties took off in the US, and the UK followed suit. High street shops started selling festive knits on purpose, and people embraced the tackiness. What was once cringe became cool — the more garish, the better.
Retailers saw the opportunity, and now everyone from supermarkets to designer labels has a Christmas jumper offering. Whether it’s flashing LEDs, 3D pom-poms, or rude slogans, the modern Christmas jumper is about having a laugh and not taking yourself too seriously.
Today: Festive, Funny, and Sometimes Even for Charity
Now it’s an annual tradition. Offices have “Christmas Jumper Day,” schools get involved, and even dogs aren’t safe. In the UK, Save the Children runs a national Christmas Jumper Day to raise funds for charity, giving the silly sweater a more meaningful twist.
From hand-knitted horror to ironic fashion staple, the Christmas jumper has gone full circle — and it doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon.