How Actor Jim Carrey Was Involved in the Birth of the Ugly Xmas Sweater Parties

We've all been to an ugly Christmas sweater party and let's be honest some of them are a blast as long as you're not trying to impress anyone with your fashion sense, rather how hideous you can dress.

At this point, we either have these ridiculous sweaters in our closets, possibly several of them over the years from such parties, or we've grown beyond ugly to outrageous, expensive, or elaborate. Either way, they're not typical fashion statements unless they involve a party and many of us have we have our grandparents to thank for them, most likely the truly ugly ones that we never really wanted.

So it should come as no surprise to you that senior citizens ignited the idea that some college students and their love of actor Jim Carrey's outrageous sweater in the movie Dumb and Dumber took further, creating the first ugly Christmas sweater party in 2002 according to Mental Floss.

It happened when some residents of a retirement home in Vancouver, Canada started pulling out their crazy Christmas sweaters, wearing them, and showing them off to each other, eventually trying to outdo each other. The more ostentatious the sweater the better.

According to HuffPost Canada, one of the employees at the retirement home who was a local college student loved seeing the fun the residents were having, and the idea was born.

But he and his friends wanted to go even uglier and more absurd. Enter their love for Jim Carrey and the movie Dumb and Dumber where the characters wear beyond hilariously gaudy Xmas sweaters.

The party started small with a few friends. Eventually, their annual parties which have become a worldwide trend, were moved to larger venues like local pubs in the Vancouver area and finally Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom according to HuffPost Canada because they became so popular.

Now you may be thinking you recall seeing ugly Christmas sweaters in 80's movies like Christmas Vacation. You did, however when they started getting mass-produced back then they were known as jingle ball sweaters. And no, not something you'd ever wear in public unless forced. Now we can't get enough of them in public as long as a party is involved.