The Christmas jumper dilemma

We’ve all got a Christmas jumper, haven’t we? Go on, Scrooge, admit it, you’ve got one somewhere. Even the bah-humbugs among us tend to have one lurking in the depths of a cupboard and can bring it out when strong-armed into joining in the festive fun.

Christmas Jumper Day is an annual event to raise money for charity, most notably Save the Children UK and this year it's on Thursday 11th December 2025. It's an annual event to raise money for charity, most notably Save the Children UK. You can participate by wearing a festive jumper and making a donation, either at school, work, or at home.

My dilemma is that I can never find a jumper I really like. When I do, I'll bring it out year after year, rather than buying a new one Christmas.

My Christmas jumper history has been a disaster, and I’m still searching for that perfect mix of wearabilty, fashion and exclusivity.

Wearability

Not too knitted, else I might melt. Not too scratchy, because some of them make you itch like you have a severe dose of fleas, and there’s nothing that kills the Christmas spirit quite so much as when you’re scratching like mad every few seconds.

Fashion

I really don't want to look like a poorly wrapped present when I’m wearing it.

Exclusivity

Before I became a full time author, I had a day job, and shopping for a Christmas Jumper was treated with the dedication of an athlete training for the winter Olympics. No one wanted to turn up for work in the same jumper as twelve other people, else we'd look like we’re some kind of synchronised jumper wearing team. Let’s face it, it’s the vast variety of jumpers which makes the day so much fun, and I don’t know about you, but my workmates were quite ferocious in trying to outdo one another.

I started my Christmas jumper-wearing days a few years ago with a thick, itchy number, which sported a reindeer’s head with a pair of antlers spreading out across the top of it. I really, really should have tried it on in the shop before I bought it. I really, really should have checked myself in the mirror before I went out in the morning, because the reindeer’s head was roughly in the area of my tummy (not an issue), and the antlers were across the top of my chest (definitely a problem). It took a couple of double-takes from my former colleagues and a fair bit of tittering (excuse the pun) before I understood what they were laughing at. Unless you looked carefully, it appeared that a pair of hands had been placed strategically over a certain part of my anatomy. Those antlers didn’t look like antlers at all!

The following year saw me wearing a jumper dress which looked like the body of an elf. Not at all itchy, and vaguely flattering as long as I pulled it in with a belt. Teamed with thick, black leggings and some knee-high boots, I thought I looked fairly merry and rather cool. But when it started to unravel due to an incident with one of those little contraptions that you use to remove staples from paper, I was forced to go home to change before the whole thing fell apart.

Another year, I settled on more of a long-sleeved, T-shirt than a jumper. It was a sort of dove-grey with the darker grey stylised outline of a reindeer. Subtle, I thought, understated. Maybe not as festive as some and certainly not as colourful as most, but I thought it elegant and comfortable. It was meant to be comfortable, I realised, when someone pointed out that it had ‘Sleepwear’ embroidered on the back. Ah, well, I suppose it saved me from having to change into my PJs for bed. There’s always a silver lining, eh?

I’ve yet to pluck up the courage to make a purchase for this forthcoming Christmas Jumper Day. I might just buy some deely boppers and a length of tinsel and call it a day!

And for my next Christmas jumper?

I'm sorely tempted by this cute little piggy number because I simply adore pigs in blankets!

If you want to take part in this worthwhile cause, sign up to https://www.savethechildren.org.uk/christmas-jumper-day All you have to do is wear your Christmas jumper and make a donation.

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About the Author

Lilac Mills writes heartwarming romance inspired by life in the Welsh countryside, her love of simple pleasures, and the beauty of everyday moments. She’s the author of over twenty feel-good novels, and also writes as Liz Davies and Etti Summers.

Learn more about Lilac.

The full list of Lilac Mills books