ugly sweaters

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one of the benefits of living overseas is having the ability to analyze your own culture from the outside. often you realize how freaky-weird-tacky many things are about it. none are so garishly fantastic then some of the phenomenons found at christmas time.

so, during the next two weeks i'll try my best to point out some of these marvels - specifically ones that most mongolians would find quite mystifying.

phenomenon #1 - the ugly christmas sweater.

legend has it that the ugly christmas sweater came about after a drunken bet between a wiry, old, poker playing grandma and a certain, high profile governmental spy about 25 years ago. the specifics are unclear, but not long after this incident the first ugly christmas sweater made its debut at a rowdy office party in springfield, nebraska and holiday wear would never be the same again. case(s) in point:

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