When ugly becomes good news
Nancy Kennedy
For those who celebrate, this year’s National Ugly Sweater Day is Dec. 19. It’s a day of lighthearted tackiness and frivolity — a chance to wear hideous knitted apparel, loud and proud.
Embrace the ugly and pass the eggnog.
When I was maybe 14, I had an ugly sweater, although I didn’t think so at the time. It was a yellowy golden, baby-poop color with short sleeves that I wore with brown velveteen bell-bottoms.
Yellowy golden baby poop is so not my color. I have a photo of me wearing the outfit, and I look like I’m on day three of a five-day plague.
However, that ugly sweater circa 1968 wasn’t the celebrated ugly Christmas sweaters of today — FYI: $158 at Nordstrom with free shipping, or $18 at Walmart.
Frankly, I don’t get it. Even worn ironically, why would anyone want to wear something so loud and obnoxious on purpose?
It’s something I think about. A lot.
The other day, I came across a 2015 column about ugly Christmas sweaters written by Parker Bullard.
He writes, “It’s exhausting trying to have it all together…trying to be less ugly than you feel. It’s exhausting trying to be perfect.
“But when you wear an ugly sweater, nobody expects you to look your best…In some ways, ugly Christmas sweaters are a form of confession. They help us confess to ourselves what a mess we really are. There is another ‘me’ hidden beneath the image I project, one that is weak and incapable and wounded and full of regret.
“There is an ugly me.”
Bullard said that by putting on an ugly sweater, we’re not putting on a “disguise of imperfection.” Instead, we are “taking off the disguise of perfection.”
I’m pretty sure most ugly sweater wearers aren’t that philosophical about their Christmas taco, neon snowman or Jolly Llama sweaters. I think most people wear ugly Christmas sweaters just because they think they’re fun.
But Bullard hits on something true: We all have an “ugly me” we try to cover up — the parts we’d rather hide, the shame and guilt we don’t want anyone to see.
People have been doing that since Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, grabbing the nearest fig leaves in a panic.
Here’s a thought: What if we didn’t try so hard to hide our ugliness?
It’s a terrifying thought. And yet a freeing one, when we remember that Jesus loved us in our ugliness — “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Not only that, He actually became ugly in our place, weighted down by the sins of the world, nailed to the Cross.
And by His death and resurrection, He clothed us in His beauty and righteousness. Now forgiven, we don’t have to put on pretend perfection — we have His to wear.
That means we can admit to ourselves and to others that yes, we are sinners — but we have a great Savior.
As Christmas approaches, I still won’t be caught dead in an ugly Christmas sweater — they’re hideous and look scratchy besides.
But even without one, I’m grateful that God loves me far beyond my questionable fashion choices — and even beyond my ugliest self.Contact Nancy Kennedy at 352-564-2927 (leave a message) or email at nkennedy@chronicleonline.com.
