Earlier this week I revealed “Brent’s Gift of the Year.” A qualifier for that distinction is that the gift be under $15. If only what I am about to write about wasn’t a tad north of that threshold, it would have been featured on Monday.

Last Christmas season, Sidney brought me home a surprise. It was an “ugly” Christmas sweater that paired nicely with the one she got herself. Now, at the time I didn’t necessarily think I needed an ugly Christmas sweater but it sure grew on me fast.

Sidney and I in our ugly Christmas sweaters.

The sweater Sidney purchased for me is “Home Alone”-themed. It is red with a white snowflake pattern around and beneath the collar. When the snowflake pattern ends a quarter of the way down the garment, the fabric turns green for the remainder of the sweater. Inside the green space is the phrase “Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal” followed by the “Home Alone” logo.

A full look at my ugly Christmas sweater.

The first thing that I really noticed about it? For a $20 Walmart sweater it sure was comfortable. I sported it for the first time at a party with our Young Adult Catholic group. I would then don it a few more times during the 2021 Christmas season, including at the airport when we flew cross country to South Carolina. That day I had numerous random people comment about how cool they thought it was.

Hanging with Beau on the airplane while wearing my ugly sweater.

Yesterday I busted out the sweater for the first time this Christmas season. At work we had a holiday party luncheon and it included an ugly sweater contest. Although I was barely edged out for the top prize by someone who wore a sweater that had its stitched on Christmas lights actually light up, it was still a hit. I then wore it to my Knights of Columbus meeting later that night and my brother Knights sure got a kick out of it.

I got to wear my ugly sweater to work yesterday!

I have additional opportunities to wear the sweater at other Christmas activities this month. All I can say is that it has been well worth the investment. In fact, the value I have already received from it rivals that of my Santa suit.

My sweater is comfortable, spirited, and very well-received. Needless to say, it is a lot of fun to wear. If you are on the fence about buying an ugly Christmas sweater, I say go for it! Don’t Blink.