On Monday, work has started again for me. Today is my first day working from home, and I am not going out for lunch but use my break to write this post instead.
Every country, and every region in a country, has special Christmas traditions. One that is definitely British is to don specific Christmas jumpers. At least I have not noticed that in other countries (certainly not in Germany) - please correct me if I am wrong.
Christmas jumpers even feature on British TV series, such as Midsomer Murders (my favourite series and one I hardly ever miss):
This year, among the many lovely Christmas presents I got from my Yorkshire family, there was a jumper I find so... so... how shall I put it? It's so weird it is actually quite funky! See for yourself:It was probably not intended to be a Christmas jumper, and I do wear it often now, not just for the holiday season.
At first, the pattern was puzzling. Why would anyone send me a jumper with Chihuahuas on it? I like most animals, including dogs, but have never been a dog person as such, never had a dog myself. And even if I chose a dog as my four-legged friend, it would definitely not be a Chihuahua or any other type of "toy dog", but a "proper" dog (you know what I mean, I hope).
Then I thought that maybe the sender mistook the tiny dogs for cats... which would make more sense, as it is well known in the family that I love cats. My sister thinks the same, and so I am convinced now that this was actually meant to be a cat lover's dream jumper.
Anyway, I really like it (but will never wear it when working at a customer's office)!
And I definitely need a haircut. Appointment made for next week!
I'm still wearing my Christmas jumper (it has been washed) because the colours cheer me up in the grey days of January. I'm not sure if they are Chihuahuas on yours - maybe just a generic small dog?
ReplyDeleteGood to know your jumper has been washed since Christmas :-)
DeleteI don't know for sure whether they are Chihuahuas, but they look like it to me.
The colors are interesting, and the neckline looks a bit different than usual. I think it has something lively that will help with this rather dreary part of the year....I think its fun!
ReplyDeleteLively is certainly the right word, Kristi :-) Yes, it's fun, and also nice, warm and soft to wear.
Deletei wonder if I have a touch of OCD! It is bothering me a lot that I forgot the apostrophe in "its" in my first comment.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. I hate it when I make typing errors in a comment and can't go back to edit it.
DeleteMe too! Must be OCD. :-)
DeleteThat's a strange pattern! But who wouldn't love a gift that's so wonderfully weird?! :)
ReplyDeleteExactly my feelings, Jennifer :-)
DeleteMeike, I have ever, ever worn a Christmas jumper, and I think very few of us bother with them. Does that help?
ReplyDeleteIt does, Frances, thank you! (Just goes to show I shouldn't believe everything I see on telly...)
DeleteI have seen knitted wollen sweaters with patterns like reindeer or snowflakes here in Sweden. Not perhaps high fashion just now, but I also suspect they may be more common up in the north (where they always have cold snowy winters) :) Patterns like that can also be seen on skihats and mittens. Chihuahuas on the other hand... I think it's safe to say that's probably the first time I see those on a jumper! :) I get what you mean though, about it being so weird that it's actually fun. I also think it helps that there are many of them rather than just one on the front!
ReplyDeleteYes, I think the jumper wouldn't be much fun if there was just one Chihuahua on the front. They are all over, back, sleeves, back of sleeves - everywhere :-)
DeleteI like woollen sweaters with reindeer and snowflake patterns, it is called Norwegian style here. But I don't have any of those.
I don't think I would ever wear a jumper with any motif on, even at Christmas. I have one at the bottom of a box somewhere and there it will stay. But I must say you look good in yours.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Maggie! You could throw a fun motto party where everyone has to wear something they dragged out from the bottom of a box ;-)
DeleteWorking in fashion I see a lot of Christmas jumpers Meike, and you are quite right, they are a very British thing. Most offices here have 'Christmas jumper days' and everyone goes out of their way to find the most weird and wonderful.
ReplyDeleteIt's more of a joke than anything- we do have a strange sense of humour but if everyone partakes of the day then it does what is intended which of course is for the team to show their fun side and not take life so seriously for once. :)
Yours isn't so much festive but it would certainly pass the 'office test'. I've never seen one quite like it so it's certainly unique! It reminds me of a cashmere jumper we once sold that had a bulldog on it. I couldn't quite figure out why someone would put an ugly old dog on such a gorgeous sweater- but amazingly it sold very well! Not that I have any objections to bulldogs you understand, it was more the combination. :D
I do have an idea in which shop this jumper was probably bought... Will go there next summer to look for more "quirky" items :-)
DeleteI've read about "Christmas Jumper Day" in an online news magazine. The article said that it is held for charity reasons in many companies in the UK. If it were a habit here, I'd certainly know which jumper to wear that day!
I know what you mean about the bulldogs. Maybe they were all Barnsley FC fans - their mascot is a bulldog, "Toby Tyke".
"Revenge of The Christmas Chihuahuas" would make a terrifying horror film.
ReplyDeleteIndeed it would! Imagine the scene: an unsuspecting librarian gets up in the middle of the night to have a glass of water, and as she comes back to her bedroom, the Chihuahuas from the jumper have all been hiding behind the door and now rush forward with bared teeth...
DeleteFortunately SuperPudding is driving by in his PuddingMobile. He hears a woman screaming in German and the yelping of the vicious pack of chihuahuas. Without a thought for his own safety, he speeds to rescue the distressed damsel, tossing a lamb bone to the ravenous, slavering pack in order to distract them. To SuperPudding it is just another day.
DeleteFirstly, I'm impressed that anyone can spell Chihuahuas. I think the jumper thing is just a further example of us Brits pretending not to take things (including ourselves) very seriously. It is possible, though, to be seriously silly.
ReplyDeleteI'm rather good at that - being silly, I mean. And when it comes to spelling, well, it's a hobby of mine to try and be good at that, too.
DeleteI think it's rather fun and I think the ears rather point to it being a Chihuahua. I was actually given a Christmas T-shirt by a friend but as I've never worn a T-shirt of any sort I'm afraid it's still unworn.
ReplyDeleteWould you have worn it if it had been a Christmas polo-neck shirt, Graham?
DeleteVery probably. I wear polo-neck and roll-neck shirts but never ever T-shirts.
DeleteThere was a push here at Christmas for people to wear "Ugly Christmas Sweaters" (jumpers to you) to parties ... mine found its way to the donation box years ago.
ReplyDeleteI imagine someone will have been really pleased to receive your Christmas sweaters/jumpers :-)
DeleteChristmas is in summer here in South Africa so no sweaters for us but I love them! I find the whole thing so fun and cute!
ReplyDeleteThe kind of weather we had all during December, we could have had Christmas in t-shirts, too! But normally, it's cold enough for sweaters/jumpers :-)
DeleteIt's a big thing in the US - 'ugly Christmas sweaters.' They have parties where people wear them.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've read about those in an online news magazine. Sounds like fun - and it's all for some charity or other.
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