Christmas morning is like going to Disney World — magical, and the exact moment that you realize you'll always be a kid at heart. You might have swapped that juice box for a mimosa at the annual Christmas morning breakfast this year, but everything else is ironically the same. Waking up on Christmas when you're 5 vs. 25 years old can feel weird that way, but honestly? We wouldn't trade it for the world.
The excitement of opening gifts at the crack of dawn, and throwing the wrapping paper into a big pile across the room is just a tradition you'll never be ready to give up. This year, you might be even more excited to see the people you love open the gifts you gave them... I guess adulting is never too far off from being a kid.
After all, you've spent the past month stressing about end-of-the-year deadlines, what to wear to the office holiday party, where to buy plane tickets (so you can dreadfully battle airport lines, and happily be home for the holidays), and when you'll find the time for your yearly viewing of Elf. Sometimes being an adult means the entire holiday season isn't so wonderful — but Christmas morning is your time to be festive, fun, and 5 years old again.
So, here's seven things that will be oddly be the same waking up this Christmas morning.
We'll always get excited over seeing our name on a box with a bow. Maybe you made a list, or maybe what's inside is a complete surprise — either way, you'll tear apart the wrapping paper just the same.
We have romantic comedies and Christmas movies to blame for our unrealistic expectations for the holiday season. Not every relationship is going to be like a scene from Love Actually or The Holiday — but oh boy, do we wish it were.
As a kid, we'd hope for the latest toys and games. That Barbie dream house, Razor scooter, and new Playstation game were beyond worth losing a night's sleep over. As an adult, our Christmas list is a little different — but we still wish somebody read our list and stuck to it. We're still not getting any sleep!
Christmastime is arguably one of the most romantic times of the year. Maybe you're hoping for a proposal, or maybe you're single and just really hoping for that waffle maker you asked for. No matter what the love affair, it's hard not to get your hopes up.
Bacon, scrambled eggs, French toast, fruit salad... where do you start?
By the time Christmas morning breakfast has come around, you're probably already a cup or two of coffee in, have opened some presents, and are more than ready for a day full of feasting.
Now that you're older, you might be spiking your orange juice with some champagne to celebrate the most wonderful time of year, but you'll B-line for the donuts right after.
Rise and shine!
Our bodies might just be used to the average 9-to-5, but it's Christmas morning, so we don't even mind. There are presents under the tree, and breakfast foods to enjoy... and you don't want to waste a minute of it. After all, Christmas is only once a year and you've been ready since Black Friday.
Whether you're the matching pajamas type, or just rock your favorite Christmas sweater with the snowmen year after year, odds are you've had an outfit picked out for this day for at least a week now.
As a kid, your mom might've helped you pick something nice out. Maybe you went shopping for something sparkly in advance, so that at breakfast you'd be looking your best.
Let's be real, the earliest Christmas mornings are all about fuzzy socks and sweatshirts. But no matter what age you are, when it's family time, you're ready to go with a full festive 'fit.
Scream-singing Christmas songs and quoting Buddy the Elf will never get old.
You'll laugh ridiculously over the stories that go with each present, and be as jolly as Saint Nick himself. You'll search for festive Instagram captions for your family photos, and spend the entire morning overdosing on Christmas music.
The night before you watched the Polar Express and start believing again. Just like you were a kid.
No matter where in the world we end up, we always seem to spend Christmas morning with family.
Thanksgiving has Friendsgiving; and Valentine's Day has Galentine's Day. But Christmas is a holiday for family, no matter whether it's big or small, the family you were born into or the one you made for yourself — and you're happy to have a guaranteed day with the people you love no matter what the year may be.
