Ugly Christmas Sweater Day - How the Christmas sweater became a cult - also for Markus Söder
It's one of the weirdest scenes from "Bridget Jones - Chocolate for Breakfast": at his parents' Christmas reception, the snobbish, stuffy lawyer Mark Darcy wears a sweater with a loyal-looking reindeer on it. You know immediately - mom knitted it! The 2001 comedy not only made actor Colin Firth famous as Mark Darcy, but also the Christmas sweater, which nestled itself in the memory of viewers like hardly any other item of clothing in film history.
"We made a lot of designs, it just had to fit right," said"Bridget Jones" director Sharon Maguire years later about the reindeer sweater. Her team was looking for the greatest possible contrast to counter the lacquered Darcy with something ridiculous. "Neither snowmen nor Christmas trees worked as well as this reindeer."
What the film crew could not have foreseen at the time: The pretty-ugly sweater achieved cult status and triggered a veritable hype for weird-looking Christmas sweaters. From then on, not only reindeer were emblazoned on it, but also funny flashing deer and corpulent Santas. The name Ugly Christmas Sweater was born.
David Beckham also loves Christmas sweaters
Since then, the sweaters have been seen everywhere. At company Christmas parties, at family gatherings, on television - and on social media when stars try to show humor. Like US actor Ryan Reynolds, who often appeared in a green sweater with a golden bow. Or Robbie Williams in a red knit with little Christmas trees. David Beckham has also often been seen in an ugly sweater: his model, which has "Spiceworld" written large on it, comes from the Spice Girls' online store. And on the US talk show "The Tonight Show", the Ugly Sweater was even part of the program last December: for the game "12 Days of Christmas Sweater", presenter Jimmy Fallon raffled off particularly garishly designed models among his studio guests.
The Christmas sweater is also celebrated in Germany. One in particular stands out: Markus Söder. The Bavarian Minister President, who also plays Kaspar at carnival, likes to stage himself in a Christmas sweater on Advent Sundays. He discovered just how effective such an appearance can be on social media in 2022, when he appeared in a red sweater with reindeer for the fourth Sunday of Advent, differing almost only in color from the Marc Darcy model. His video was liked over 20,000 times on Instagram alone.
So it's hardly surprising that Söder brought out the sweater again this year at the beginning of December. However, the praising comments attesting to the CSU leader's lasting awareness quickly fell silent when he appeared in his new Christmas sweater a weekend later. After all, as a carnival fanatic, Söder knows that you have to step up your game when it comes to outfits. So he slipped into a dark blue sweater with a Christmas tree made up of the Star Wars quote "May the Force be with you" in green letters. Söder spoke somewhat clumsily: "May the Christmas Force be with you".
Although Mark Darcy's sweater from "Bridget Jones" boosted the hype surrounding the sweater, similar models were already seen on US television in the 1960s, when singers such as Val Doonican and Andy Williams appeared in Christmas shows. Sweaters with reindeer and snowflakes also appeared in the 80s, as in the video for "Last Christmas" by Wham!
However, the fact that "Ugly Christmas Sweater Day" is celebrated today on the third Friday in December has no particular background. Except perhaps that the day is intended to boost sales of sweaters. They have long been available from all brands, whether made of acrylic wool at C&A or cashmere at Gucci.
But the idea of making the other person laugh with a flashing reindeer on their chest doesn't appeal to everyone. For some, kitsch on the body is the epitome of bad taste. Fortunately, the Christmas season is limited to just a few weeks. However, it does come around - every year.
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Mark Darcy's Christmas sweater, featuring a loyal reindeer, was famously worn by Colin Firth in the movie "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason". The scene where he dons the sweater, knitted by his mother, helped to popularize the Christmas sweater even further, with actor Ryan Reynolds and soccer star David Beckham also sporting them in later years.
Colin Firth's portrayal of Mark Darcy in "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" not only gained him immense fame but also breathed new life into the Christmas sweater trend. The film's memorable scene of Darcy wearing the hand-knitted reindeer sweater by his mother inspired subsequent stars, such as Ryan Reynolds and David Beckham, to embrace the festive look.
Source: www.stern.de
