It’s almost time for this year’s Christmas Jumper Day but what is it and when does it take place?
Christmas Jumper Day is a campaign that sees celebrities and the general public wear Christmas Jumpers on a specific date to raise money for Save the Children.
This year, pop star Olly Murs and This Morning presenter Alison Hammond are among the famous faces modelling pre-loved knitwear for this year’s Christmas Jumper Day.
Former Hear’Say member Myleene Klass, TV presenter Laura Whitmore, former EastEnders star Joe Swash and Loose Women panellist Nadia Sawalha have also joined Save the Children’s annual fundraising campaign.
What is Christmas Jumper Day?
The event encourages the public to donate to Save the Children, a children’s rights charity, while joining in with the festive day.
Murs, 40, spoke about how he will celebrate Christmas this year alongside his baby daughter Madison and his wife Amelia.
He said: “Christmas in the Murs household is always a laugh. Every year, I’m in charge of the games, including our tradition of pass the parcel which everybody loves.
“This year will be Madison’s first Christmas, so I’m really excited for that – it’ll be a special one for the whole family.
“Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day is such a fun way to raise money for a brilliant cause.
“As a new dad, I know how important it is for my daughter to have a safe and happy upbringing, but not every child in the world experiences this.
“All you need to do is wear a silly second-hand jumper, donate what you can and you’ll be helping to make sure children across the globe get the future they deserve.”
He added: “A Christmas tradition we have in my family is the ‘Jackie Present’. It started 10 years ago when a gift was sent to my address, labelled for Jackie.
“The gift turned out to be a designer bag and ever since then, I’ve asked someone to send us a secret present – the Jackie present! It’s always a complete mystery and to make it more fun.
“I now host a game which can be anything from eating bugs to our own version of Squid Game, all for someone to win the surprise present. One year, the ‘Jackie Present’ was a gigantic box, after my grandad spent a good few minutes unwrapping it, it turned out to be a gift card.”
Speaking about her family’s traditions, Hammond said: “Our Christmas Day tradition is to open a few presents in the morning, then we eat lunch, then we open the rest so we’re spreading the excitement throughout the day.
“We play classic games like charades, we do a fair bit of napping after the meal and we watch a lot of Christmas telly – especially the King’s speech, that’s something my son always loves to tune into.”
When is Christmas Jumper Day?
This year, Christmas Jumper Day takes place on Thursday, December 12 and anyone can join in.
Since its launch in 2012, Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day has raised more than £30 million to help transform the lives of children across the globe.
To find out more and sign up, visit the Save the Children website.
Among the other stars involved with the campaign this year are TV presenter Sophie Morgan, Love Island’s Olivia Bowen and Ugly Betty actress Ashley Jensen.
Comedians Dom Joly, Jen Brister and London Hughes will also join in alongside Ted Lasso star Ellie Taylor and TV presenter and Paralympian Ade Adepitan.
There is also Olympic diving medallist Noah Williams, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story star India Amarteifio, choreographer and ex-Strictly Come Dancing judge Dame Arlene Phillips, teacher and TikTok star Shabaz Ali, The Great British Bake-Off star Sandro Farmhouse and radio presenter Joelah Noble.
