Tis the season for festive red cups, work holiday gift exchanges and, naturally, ugly Christmas sweaters. The history of the bright sweater decorated with as many gaudy festive motifs as possible dates back to the 1950s when TV anchors and well-known stars started wearing them on popular ABC and CBS programs during the holidays.
Over the next 70 years, what started out as a joke turned into a major industry. Ugly Christmas (and for some, even Hanukkah and Kwanzaa) sweaters pop up every year at offices across the country and are sold in big-box chains like Walmart (WMT) -) and Target (TGT) -) by the thousands.
Related: Why it might be harder to return that holiday gift you hate this year
Since 2002, Dec. 15 has also been an official National Holiday Sweater Day. To celebrate the occasion, Alaska Airlines (ALK) -) is offering those who have a flight with the airline on the day a chance to board first. Anyone wearing an ugly Christmas sweater or other ostentatious display of Christmas spirit will board after first class and those who need extra help boarding instead of according to their fare ticket like normal.
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Alaska Airlines is positioning itself as the 'merrier carrier' this holiday season
"As the 'merrier carrier,' we want to make every moment of your journey memorable," Alaska's Managing Director Of Marketing And Advertising Eric Edge said in a statement. "Our holiday sweater is just one of the many ways the team at Alaska is delighting guests and employees this holiday season."
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For its staff, Alaska Airlines unveiled its sixth annual holiday sweater — a dark blue base in the airline's signature color with a strip featuring bright pink and lime green Christmas trees. Throughout the day and at other points in December, the flight attendants will be wearing this sweater on different Alaska flights around the country.
The airline has been doing this for the last six years and flight attendants who have been working with the airline for a while will now have quite a collection of ugly Christmas sweaters at home.
Priority boarding for the holidays? Another airline has tried it
"Alaska is celebrating the holidays throughout December, with festive décor and boarding music, as well as free holiday movies to help flyers have a merry flight," the airline said further.
Offering boarding and other small perks to travelers who dress up is something that several smaller airlines running short flights to nearby cities have tried over the years. Last October, the Miramar, Fla.-based Spirit Airlines (SAVE) -) gave priority boarding to passengers making an effort for Halloween on any Oct. 31 flight.
But to avoid a situation in which some travelers wore full-on costume and made it difficult for the traveler next to them, the airline reminded travelers to "please refrain from the added theatrics" while also avoiding full-on face masks as well as costumes that are "offensive, objectionable or violent." The initiative was taken up by some Halloween-loving guests and many wore small accessories such as cat or Minnie Mouse ears to get early boarding.
Just as with Alaska, priority boarding for the "costume group" came after those traveling in first class and passengers with disabilities, young children or otherwise needing help with the boarding process.
