The Grinch

I recently sent Grinch Christmas cards to some friends who live in Europe and I soon realized that no one in Europe knows who the Grinch is. Maybe you don’t know either, so let me explain this beloved Christmas story to you, called How the Grinch Stole Christmas! which was written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel in 1957.

The Grinch is a bitter, bad-tempered creature who lives in a cave on a high mountain near Whoville, a town of Christmas-loving Whos. The Grinch, however, hates Christmas so he decides to stop Christmas from coming by stealing the Whos’ presents, trees, and food for their Christmas feast. He disguises himself as Santa Claus and sneaks into their homes and takes everything.

On Christmas morning, instead of ruining the Whos’ Christmas, the Grinch sees them smiling and singing, and at that moment the Grinch realizes that there is more to Christmas than just decorations and presents. He brings everything back to Whoville where he is seated in the place of honor at the Whos’ Christmas dinner.

For most of the story, the Grinch is really mean. Here is a YouTube video demonstrating that from its 1966 animated special - a classic!

American kitsch: ugly Christmas sweaters

Believe it or not, if you do an internet search with the key words “ugly Christmas sweater” you will find pages and pages of results, and you may wonder why so many people want an ugly Christmas sweater. Ironic as it is, this tacky item of clothing is a necessity for many holiday occasions and it’s an example of kitsch.

Kitsch is defined as art, objects, or design considered to be in bad taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic way. Ugly Christams sweaters possess all of those qualities.

There are ugly Christmas sweater contests, ugly Christmas sweater parties, ugly Christmas sweater theme days at work, and ugly sweater runs. December 12 is officially National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day!

In the past, this type of sweater was probably a nostalgic item or a funny gift you received and saved to wear once each year. Designed to be as unattractive as possible and often considered hideous, these awful sweaters have slowly changed from a fashion “don’t” to an ironically cool and trendy holiday necessity.

What is undeniable, the overly-festive, obnoxious Christmas sweater creates laughter and humor while it brings out memories of home and childhood.

The uglier, the better.

Sport

The word “sport” is connected to activities involving physical effort and skill. Currently, the number of internationally recognized sports totals 442. For our purposes of English improvement, this kind of sport is a noun.

There is another sport that is a verb and it has nothing to do with physical activity, teams, or competition. To sport is to wear or display a distinctive or noticeable item.

- I see that you’re "sporting" a new leather jacket. It’s very cool.
- You will recognize Marco. He’s the one "sporting" a big handlebar mustache.
- Pamela "sported" a red dress to promote Women's Heart Month.
- Kurt's Mustang "sports" a personalized license plate that says “TOO FAST”.
- Who’s that guy "sporting" the white suit? Oh, it’s John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.

What do you like to sport?