Fucking Christmas Jumper Day

[SkateAway]

AIBU and a scrooge?

My work are having a Christmas jumper day. We are a small team so it will be noticed if I don't join in and it has been implied I will be making my team look bad if I refuse.

I don't own a Christmas jumper and I don't want to waste money on something I'll never wear again. The idea is that we bring in a monetary donation and also have a donation tin for clients to donate. I have suggested a local charity for disadvantaged children.

I'd rather put an extra tenner in the donation bucket than spend it on a hideous piece of glittery landfill. I've asked around and nobody has one I can borrow, can't make it round the charity shops before the day and I'm told wearing a festive colour with some tinsel in my hair isn't in the spirit of things.

I don't like Christmas but I'm not outwardly scroogey about it. Unsure if I'm being a total bore and "that person" or if I'm justified in not being arsed with it.

I don't buy my children new ones every year, they have got one each that others have bought them and they wear those a few times over the holidays until they don't fit.

[ooooohbetty]

I just refused to do it in my office. I can't wear jumpers at work because they make me too hot and no way was I buying something I'd only wear once.

[JustaScratch]

Sorry OP, I was being a flippant but I realise it read a bit harsher than that! Just making the point that people don't need to splash out for some thing new. A red top sounds perfect.

[LyingWitchlnTheWardrobe]

Die Hard... the ultimate Christmas film!

I wear the hoodie to the gym, couldn't do that with a sparkly jumper.

[SkateAway]

Not sure if I'm missing something with that one Lying is it a reference to something in particular?

[LyingWitchlnTheWardrobe]

... with a black sparkly skirt.

[LyingWitchlnTheWardrobe]

You have my sympathies, I don't like them either. I wore this one to my work do (mandatory Christmas jumpers) - in black...

[SkateAway]

Stick a bit of tinsel or a bauble to an existing jumper with safety pins and stop being such a bloody Scrooge.

I don't see how buying a vulenerable child a Christmas gift instead of buying myself an ugly jumper that I don't want makes me a scrooge.

In the end I couldn't be arsed, wore a red top and was the only person who actually bothered to donate anything 🤷‍♀️

[DarlingNikita]

JolieOBrien, I work at home too; tell me where it's from and I'll get one and we can both wear them in solidarity

[sportinguista]

I just always wore a jumper I already had and since I bought it near Christmas and it was sparkly I maintained it was therefore Christmas jumper - job done!

[rookiemere]

Was thinking of you yesterday as our office - everyone on pretty decent salaries- had a christmas jumper day. Some people wore them and some people didn't, and that was the end of that. No one was forced to do anything they didn't want to . A few folk wore sparkly tops - would that be an option for you from your existing wardrobe?

[TigerJoy]

Speaking as someone who loves Christmas and my Christmas jumpers I completely agree you shouldn't have to be forced to buy anything. I also agree the planet doesn't need more waste.

Lots of sensible suggestions here re: decorating an existing item of clothing or donating the money you would have spent.

If you really feel.you have to buy something lots of supermarkets have nice jumpers which are vaguely festive but can be worn at other times, eg a white jumper with a sparkly bow on, sparkly animals.

But I were you I would "make" a Christmas jumper...you said you were told tinsel in your hair wasn't enough, but if you tacked tinsel around the neck and sleeves or in Christmas tree shape, or tacked on baubles a few small baubles in the upper chest area then that's different. You've clearly made a big effort, you're wearing a piece of clothing you feel comfortable in (maybe start with last year's red jumper) and you've not bought a cheap monstrosity which will pump our acrylic into the environment with every wash.

[JustaScratch]

Stick a bit of tinsel or a bauble to an existing jumper with safety pins and stop being such a bloody Scrooge.

[Sparklybaublefest]

yanbu and i find it surprising that no one can lend you one op.
i just wear a plain red or green one with a string of lights

think of the environment people, it is wasteful

[BringBiscuits]

Yanbu

Tell your workmates you’re not interested in buying something you’ll wear once or twice at best. The planet is under enough pressure without every adult and child having to purchase a Christmas jumper every year

[Thehop]

I got a Christmas tee shirt at peacocks from the mens section for £4. Lovely and loose and my work pull the shit every year so I’ll put it away.

[countrygirl99]

I'm with you OP. I do t have any jumpers at all. I don't like wearing them and prefer sweatshirts most of which have horsey slogans so not convertible to Christmas. I just point out that as a member of the Corporate Sustainability Working Group it would be awkward for me but then my colleagues aren't a bunch of knobs.

[ChaiNashta]

I don't celebrate Christmas so don't have any festive jumpers either but for our jumper day I wore a sparkly top and that was fine for my workplace. I have seen some tasteful fairisle knitted tops on sale that you might get more wear out of?

[tigger1001]

I don't get why employers do stuff like that. If they want their staff to wear Christmas jumpers - they should buy them. It's already an expensive time of year and for all they know their employee might be really struggling financially and just can't afford it. To embarrass them into spending money they don't have just so they can get a team photo is just not on.

I'm not a Christmas jumper person. Never felt the need to wear one and can't see that changing.

"The cost of the school day" is fairly big in our schools locally so they don't do Christmas jumper day either. Thank goodness!

[TreacherousPissFlap]

DS is currently the proud owner of a black T-shirt with the slogan "I am not wearing a Christmas jumper". It seemed a fair compromise as he is also exceptionally anti Christmas jumper but also needs to be seen to be making an effort.

[TheSquitz]

I was the only person at work yesterday whi didn't wear one. All other teachers/TAs did. I never join in with all this shite. I got told iff a few years ago for not wearing my nightwear on Pyjama Day (by the Head wearing his pyjamas ) and made it clear that wearing fancy dress etc had not been written into my contract. Nobody expects me to wear stupid stuff any more.

[OneOfTheGrundys]

“Nasty acrylic jumper? No way - barrel shaped and menopausal human here who would look like a steaming Christmas pudding in one of those.”
^
Hear hear 👍
(Me too)

[SimonJT]

I refuse to buy an xmas jumper, it’s such a waste. My sons school is doing xmas jumper day on Friday, I have taken a plain grey sweater and sewn an xmas tree outline on it with some green tinsil and used a fluffy yellow ball from his craft kit for the star.

I pinned a paper tree outline to his sweater first to make sure it would be symmetrical etc, it was easier to do than I thought.

[rosegoldwatcher]

Nasty acrylic jumper? No way - barrel shaped and menopausal human here who would look like a steaming Christmas pudding in one of those.
At my last school all staff were expected to take part in the secret santa - the beneficiary's name was put into your pigeon hole whether you wanted to take part or not. (School gestapo says, "You vill enjoy yourself!")

[Dowser]

I like the idea of customising your own jumper.
Baubles , tinsel etc
Just shows you’re ...getting in the spirit..of things without totally acquiescing

[Soontobe60]

Just tell them you're Jewish 🤷🏼‍♀️