20 times celebrities rocked ugly holiday sweaters

LeBron James, Logic, and Jane Lynch looking festive.Ray Tamarra, Taylor Hill, Noam Galai/Getty Images

• Ugly holiday sweaters have come a long way since their first appearance in the 1950s, now often featuring LED lights, ornaments, and pop culture references, among other designs.
• Whether it's for a silly picture, an ugly holiday sweater party, or because you genuinely like the thing, ugly knitted garments have become a mainstay of yuletide fashion.
• Yet, as these photos show, celebrities such as LeBron James and Beyonce can make even the ugliest of holiday sweaters fashionable.

Most of us probably own an ugly holiday sweater or two, but they weren't always so ubiquitous.

According to CNN, a Christmas-themed garment deemed the "Jingle Bell Sweater" was released to the public in the 1950s. Consumers were slow to adopt the tacky sweaters as a real holiday tradition, but after sitcom and movie stars like Chevy Chase in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" started wearing them, the sweater's popularity started gaining momentum.

It wasn't until 2002, however, when the first ugly holiday sweater party took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, that they really took off. Ever since, ugly holiday sweaters have become a staple of yuletide celebrations and have become even uglier, featuring wacky lights, designs, and even ornaments.

Yet, the average citizen isn't the only demographic interested in this beautiful piece of anti-fashion — celebrities have worn some of the most impressive ugly sweaters to date, from LeBron James to Beyonce.

In the spirit of the holiday season kicking off, we rounded up 20 times that celebs showed off their best ugly holiday knits.