THERE’S NO DENYING that the festive season will be very different this year, but we can still make an effort to make the run up to Christmas enjoyable.
And what better way to kick off the festivities than by digging out your Christmas jumper?
This year, Focus Ireland is encouraging schools, clubs, workplaces, families and friends to host their own virtual Christmas Jumper Day to raise much-needed funds for the charity.
To get you inspired, we asked readers to share their most impressive Christmas jumpers from over the years. From Tom Selleck to Everton, here’s what they sent in…
1. Emma’s oldie-but-a-goodie
“This is my oldest jumper. I think I got it online about four years ago. Our family was never one to wear Christmas jumpers, so safe to say that this one may have kicked off the addiction.
“It’s so random, but I love it. Who doesn’t love a Tom Selleck ‘tash on a jumper!? I always get a great reaction when I wear it. It’s usually people stopping me asking if that’s Tom Selleck on my jumper!”
2. Seamus’s one-of-a-kind creation
“My mam Mags hand-knits jumpers and made this Christmas one for me. People thought they were seeing double. I’ll wear it again this year – as long as I can get a matching mask.”
3. Jenny’s festive family tradition
“We take Christmas very seriously in our house! The tradition started with getting a family photo with Santa in Arnotts every year, but we started to wear the jumpers as we got older. As kids, we got new clothes for our Santa picture every year, then as we got older we got those ugly vintage sweaters and now we only wear them! In this photo, my dad dressed up as Santa for the neighbourhood kids.”
4. Daragh’s quest to support the Toffees
“I recently bought this because I love Christmas jumpers and I love Everton, so it was a no-brainer. I also don’t like how red is the predominant colour for Christmas, I think it needs a bit more blue!
“Luckily, I’m still able to go into the office from time to time with a small number of my team. It’s been a tough year so I’m going to wear it on December 1st to try bring some joy to the office. Either by reminding my colleagues of the joy of Christmas or to have them laugh at me because I stupidly bought an Everton Christmas jumper. Either way, if they’re laughing I’m happy!”
5. Órla’s ode to Louis Theroux
“The jumper popped up as a suggested ad for me online. I guess I must have been searching or watching Louis Theroux that week. I don’t own many Christmas jumpers, but I love this one and will probably break it out again this year. It always gets a good reaction. If you don’t like puns, I’m not sure I can trust you.”
6. Paul’s holy charity shop find
“I got this in a charity shop a few years ago and it gets taken out every year. I’ll be wearing it again this year for sure. Everyone in the family sees the funny side – even our older relatives.”
7. Sarah’s last-minute DIY jumper
“I wore this to a Christmas event last year. I made it 20 minutes beforehand with a glue gun and all the crafts supplies I have lying around. I had made a pom pom garland with wool so I threw that on. I made the star from pieces of felt and pom poms, glue gunned it to a hairband and threw some lights on. I ended up winning best dressed, and my granny loved it when I visited her afterwards. I may wear it again this year if I need a festive outfit!”
Whether you’re hosting a virtual Christmas party for your school or saying ‘cheers’ with friends over Zoom, Christmas Jumper Day is the perfect opportunity to get into the festive spirit while raising much-needed funds for Focus Ireland. Find out more about organising a Christmas Jumper Day for your school, college, workplace, or with family and friends here. Donate to Focus Ireland here.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say