There’s one element to every holiday party that lets you know Christmas is here and it’s not the 40-proof eggnog or the great aunt whose had way too much of it.

I’m talking about those ugly festive holiday sweaters that coax even the grumpiest of scrooges into tipping the neighborhood carolers. 

The Ugly Sweater party, as it’s called, is a fun way to get into the Christmas spirit or to forget about the 50^th Starbucks gift certificate you got stuffed in your stocking (gift cards are for procrastinators, don’t be one of them this season!).

On a mission

While the elves up north were making PS3’s and flat-screen TV’s, the Helium Radar blog was pounding the pavement in search of ugly (ahem) festive holiday sweaters.

We ran into Joyce and Laura who work at a bookstore on Santana Row and they’re all about their Christmas sweaters.

 For Joyce it’s about feeling the Christmas cheer and maybe even spreading a little bit to the people she sees while the sleigh bells ring. 

 Laura shares in the Christmas spirit with her holiday sweater, decked with snowflakes, Frosty and everyone’s favorite, St. Nicholas.

Festive or faux pas?

How can you tell a holiday sweater from a plain ol’ ugly sweater?   Don’t worry; Helium’s got your back. 

You may get a hand-knit sweater with a unicorn emblazoned across the chest from grandma every Christmas, but that doesn’t mean you can wear it in public.  Actually, let me back that one up, you’re friends might cut you some slack if they used to get the same ones from their grandmas.  But as a rule of thumb, go for things sung about in Christmas songs.

Next, the more outrageous, the better.  You want people to know that you put out milk and cookies for Santa every Christmas Eve so don’t shortchange yourself by going conservative – the more things hanging from your sweater the better (think jingle bells and ornaments).

Not least is where you can find these gems.  Thrifting them would be my first reaction but experience has shown that Goodwill and Savers have disappointingly slim pickings, I guess demand is picking up for these guys.  You may want to try secondhand stores in major cities like San Francisco, where the selection can be a bit juicier (thanks for the tip Joyce!).

Naughty or Nice

So what have we learned here boys and girls?  Holiday sweaters aren’t just for grandmothers and cat-ladies anymore.  Even late night talk-show host Jimmy Fallon shed some limelight on this item, giving one away to a lucky audience member for the 12 nights leading up to Christmas.  Bottom line, Christmas is a time for giving so take a cue from Mr. Fallon and share your holiday spirit by wearing one or gifting one to someone you love.