Christmas and sweaters naturally go together. But how did the idea of a festive holiday sweater become the multimillion dollar industry of recent decades? Is the gawdy, ironic, edgy humored Christmas sweater a passing fad, or are we at the start of something enduring? Today on Christmas Past: The "ugly" Christmas sweater!

Thank you to Evan Mendelsohn from Tipsy Elves for joining me. And thanks to my mom, making her third appearance here on Christmas Past!

Music in this episode

• "Wish Background" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "Holiday 2" — Dave Depper, via Needledrop
• "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" — Don Maue, shared directly by the artist
• "Crinoline Dreams" — Kevin MacLeod, via Incompetech
• "Bellow's Hull" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music Archive
• "Gentle Marimbas" — Podington Bear, via Free Music Archive

Share a Christmas memory on the podcast! Just record a voice memo into your phone and send it to [email protected]. Keep it reasonably short, clean and family friendly, and be sure to say your name and where you're from. 

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Connect with Me

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Books

Of Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025, Lyons Press and Recorded Books) It's Christmas as you've never seen it before, and it makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your life.

Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions (2022, Lyons Press and Recorded Books)