I’ll be honest – Christmas as an adult just isn’t the same as it was when you were a kid. Gone are the days when you could just sit back and relax in the run-up to Christmas, scoff endless chocolates on Christmas Day and play with your new toys while Home Alone blasts out on the TV in the background.
Now, there is NO time to relax. You’re rushing around trying to get everyone’s presents in time, frantically writing out Christmas cards and you’re hesitant to take another chocolate because it doesn’t agree with your stomach after 9pm anymore.
And you glance at Home Alone on the TV and find yourself wondering how on earth Harry and Marv survived all those traps set by an 8-year-old Kevin, something which probably never even crossed your mind when you were a kid because you too busy laughing at it.
Being a parent, I feel that there is this expectation to find Christmas just as magical as you did when you were a child. The reality is that it just isn’t. The magic, for me, has slowly died and is only rekindled for the fifteen minutes it takes my kids to tear the paper off their nicely-wrapped presents.
Let’s look at a few other ways in which I believe Christmas changes when you’re an adult.
It arrives too fast
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Christmas arrives far too quickly when you’re an adult.
When I was a child, it took ages for Christmas to come. One year felt like five. Now, it feels like one year only lasts five minutes.
The only part of a year that drags on these days are the summer holidays.
As soon as it gets to September, the year seems to speed up and before you know it, the Halloween displays have gone, there are Christmas decorations everywhere and Christmas songs are being played in November.
And I bloody hate it.
I used to love it. In my late teens and twenties, I’d be happy to hear the Christmas tunes blasting out far earlier than they should be. Then I hit my thirties, had kids, became tired and transformed, very quickly, into the Grinch.
Now all I’m reminded of, whenever I hear those first beats of Last Christmas over the speakers at the supermarket, is that I have a ton of sh*t to do.
Which brings me to the next point:
There is NO time to get anything done
None. Zero. Zilch. I’m no longer the one relaxing and playing with my toys. My kids are now the ones doing that, while I take on the responsible role of the parent and sort everything out.
It never feels like I have enough time. When you’re a kid, you have all the time in the world. You feel young and free and have NO responsibilities.
Fast forward twenty years and you’re frantically trying to make sure you’ve completed your Christmas shopping gift list. And your Christmas card list. And the festive food shopping list.
While also breaking up sibling fights.
And cleaning up all the bits of foil that the kids have pulled off their advent calendars while trying to get to their chocolates.
Every day.
For 24 days.
Sigh.
Christmas movies are more emotional
I’ve always been a little bit sentimental at Christmas. Since becoming a parent though, I tend to get far more emotional during the festive period.
One of the best things about having children is that I get to introduce them to all my favourite childhood Christmas movies. Despite me feeling that the magic has gone, there’s no better feeling than watching them enjoy the things that made me happy as a child.
And the movies I loved have much deeper meanings as an adult. I get much more emotional at the ending of Home Alone, when Old Man Marley reunites with his family.
As an adult, you really do start to understand the importance of making amends with family members.
Which brings me to my next point:
You appreciate family moments more
For me, this is one of the biggest ways in which Christmas changes when you’re an adult. When you’re a child and during your teen years and even early twenties, Christmas family gatherings can seem like a chore. I’d find myself groaning whenever a family get-together was organised.
Admittedly, I still sometimes do, but as I’ve gotten older, I now understand the importance of these gatherings.
None of us are getting any younger and Christmas now taking hardly any time at all to arrive every year is a stark reminder of that.
The Christmas decorations aren’t as magical
I grew up in the 90s and the Christmas decorations were amazing! We used to have pretty garlands, lanterns, Christmas bells that played tunes, MERRY CHRISTMAS banners and so much more.
There are still a lot of lovely decorations these days, but nothing can beat the magic created by those vintage decorations!
There are no Christmas carollers anymore
I’ll admit that while I’m glad this tradition has died out, it does feel a little less magical these days without it! Especially when you see it in Christmas movies.
Well, apart from this scene in Gremlins:
Smaller and less appealing chocolates
This might be the one of the saddest Christmas changes as an adult. Gone are the massive tins of Quality Street and Roses, replaced with tubs less than half the size that they used to be.
And it’s not just the size that has changed.
Even the wrappers have caused controversy.
Cadbury Roses used to be amazing. I still remember the excitement I felt as a child whenever I opened a tin and saw the miniature chocolate bars. They were adorable and felt like such a novelty.
Now, the chocolates lack any sort of creativity. Gone are the interesting flavours and designs, replaced with boring, equal squares of unappetizing and uninspiring sugary rubbish.
Sob.
Also, what happened to those amazing selection boxes that were shaped like a massive Christmas stocking?! Can you still get them? If so, they’re probably the size of a standard sock now!
And so…
The magic might not quite be there anymore, but if my kids can look back when they are older and say that they had the same nice memories that I once had, then it doesn’t matter how much Christmas changes when you’re an adult – all the stress will have been worth it!
