Are You Awake? A Quiet Thought for Christmas Day
Are you awake? Same.
I never sleep well on Christmas Eve. I don’t know if it’s habit, expectation, or just years of the day carrying more weight than it probably should, but sleep always feels lighter, more fragmented. This morning, I’m watching old episodes of Lewis, wondering what people actually want to read when they wake up on Christmas Day — if anything at all. Well. Merry Christmas, for a start.
I’m in the Lake District this year, having what people like to call a “quiet one”. That phrase always makes me smile, but it really is my reality this Christmas. Just me, my husband, and of course the dogs, holed up in a cosy lodge, the sort of place where the outside world feels politely paused. We haven’t even done gifts this year which is unusual but liberating!
A Different Kind of Christmas Morning
We’re one of those big families that tends to rotate Christmas every year, and this time around I’m very happy to report that I won’t be cooking dinner for an army. No lists stuck to the fridge. No mental maths about oven space. No working backwards from when lunch is meant to be served.
Instead, I’ll be sipping a strong drink and grilling a steak. That’s about the size of it. There’ll be a walk with the dogs, maybe a quick trip to the pub, and after that the day is ours. No schedule. No performance. No one to impress.
But. Somewhere, someone is already being shaken awake by excited children. Somewhere else, a kettle has boiled for the third time. Toast has been burnt, wrapping paper has gone missing, and someone is checking the oven even though nothing’s in it yet.
And somewhere — probably more people than we realise — someone is awake early, scrolling, wondering how the day is supposed to feel.
Are the kids up yet?
By 11am, will you be frazzled, or will you still feel like you have it under control?
The Pressure We Put on Ourselves
Cooking has never stressed me out. I enjoy it, so it’s always felt more like a pleasure than a chore. But Christmas has a way of keeping you awake for other reasons.
In years gone by, it’s been the quiet questioning that’s done it. Have I bought enough food? Will everyone like it? Are there enough gifts? Have I got the right drinks?
It’s a lot of pressure, and most of it is pressure we put on ourselves.
So if that’s you right now — awake early, running through imaginary problems before the day has even started — just stop. Make yourself a brew. Put something easy on the radio or the telly. Sit still for a minute before the noise begins.
Today doesn’t need to be magical to be meaningful.
When Christmas Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect
The original message of Christmas, in my opinion, was lost a long time ago. Its religious connotations have faded for many, replaced by something far more commercial. What we mostly celebrate now is a version of Christmas shaped by advertising, expectation, and the idea that more effort or money spent equals more value.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
A good Christmas doesn’t come from perfectly timed courses or the right number of presents under the tree. It comes from smaller moments that aren’t planned — a laugh you didn’t expect, a pause you didn’t rush past, the relief of realising that today doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s – and of course, it is just one frikking day. Give yourself a break!
Whether your Christmas is loud or low-key, crowded or quiet, traditional or completely improvised, it still counts. You don’t need to earn it. You don’t need to prove anything.
If you’re awake right now, reading this before the day really begins, this moment is yours.
And that’s enough. Merry Christmas.
Joanne Brook-Smith is a writer and editor with two decades of publishing experience. She launched Crave Magazine during the Covid period to create a fresh, inspiring space for food, travel and lifestyle content.