To get annoyed by Christmas jumpers

[KellysZeros]

I sort of know I'm being a bit of a grinch here, but I've started to see adverts with Christmas jumpers on, and it winds me up. I know it's just a bit of fun, but I get annoyed to see big retailers selling them to us as if they're some universal timeless tradition, whereas, it's a relatively new phenomenon and way for companies to make money.

I know this a first world problem, but AIBU to be annoyed? Anyone else?

Yes you Abu

I quite like a cheesy Christmas jumper

Yes it is relatively new and obviously a money making thing but it’s also a bit of fun and you don’t have to buy a new jumper every year. Mine’s on the third year and I don’t care if people remember it from last year.

Just last week I passed a charity shop with a whole rail of them in the window, so there’s another option if you need one or have DCs that have outgrown previous ones – there’s sometimes the option of hand-me-downs too and if you have DCs why not try and have an exchange event at school so people can bring in outgrown ones and pick up new ones that fit, possibly with a token donation to the charity or school funds?

YANBU!

I find them very annoying, and a big waste of money.

Children are expected to wear them to school for fundraising, which means buying a sweater for £10 to £20, in order for them to take in £1 or £2 for the charity. They only get worn a couple of times a year, if that, so you might be lucky if it's worn 6 times. Such a waste!

Well of course it's a way for company to make money.

The same is true of cream cakes, glittery red stilettoes, flashing bow ties, and other frivolous, fun stuff.

My jumper has flashing lights

YANBU.

They're not even ironically funny.

Children are expected to wear them to school for fundraising
Really? Who is setting this expectation?

All traditions are new at some point- Christmas trees, crackers, presents on Christmas Day etc. The entire point of shops is to sell stuff, of course they want to sell as much as possible! And bad Christmas jumpers were more of a 'thing' in what, 80's/90's? They just came back again in an 'ironic' way. Don't buy one if you don't want to but I love mine.

The phenomenon you describe in the OP applies to virtually everything in modern life.

My dc had a school thing where they "had" to wear Christmas jumpers. Buy them massive (and not ridiculously ott light up crap etc), try to get 3 years wear out of them.

I got my kids Christmas jumpers in the sales at the start of the year, paid about 3 pounds each for them, just bought the size up from what they wore last year. I have two Christmas jumpers and love them, wear them often from December onwards. I don't think they will fit me this year though as I'm 28+5 weeks pregnant now and have a huge bump lol

I'm glad I'm not the only one, but I'm in a minority. I think it's because unlike other traditions, I'm old enough to see that this one is so recently invented. I sometimes (hyperbolically) feel as if I'm Eric Blair in 1984 and I'm the only one who doesn't realise we were always at war with Oceana.

I personally think they are hideous, but I can't imagine why they are causing you such a problem?

Can't get myself worked up about a Christmas jumper . . Nobody is making you buy and wear one .

(Sorry that should be "only one who realises we weren't always at war with Oceana") - got my negatives completely messed up

I want one that you can put your phone in the fireplace of the chimney on the jumper
You can then run a video of the flames!

urgh we have a wear a Christmas jumper to work day and we pay £2.00 for the pleasure of wearing it for charity! Spent £10 on it in the Sainsbury's - more fool me! It's not the done thing to refuse either.

I think they are fun that said I have seen a lot of people say things like "I need to get my Christmas jumper for this year" like it is legally mandated that one must buy a new one with each passing year.

I absolutely bloody hate them. Awful things. I love Christmas though....

Kelly, do you mean Winston Smith? Eric Blair is Orwell's real name.

And I love Christmas jumpers.

I'm not frothing and shaking in aisles at Tesco (yet) - it's just one of those things in life that for some reason irrationally (probably) annoys me.

Damn, indeed, I do mean Winston Smith! D'oh - even more embarrassing

You grinch! Go and suck a humbug in the corner

What is wrong with a cheesy jumper? It's just a bit of harmless fun

No, I loved your hyperbole! I use exactly the same hyperbole (silently, inside my head) all the time.

I blame Bridget Jones.