The magic of Christmas does not just end after Santa commits countless break and enter misdemeanors.

No, the magic of Christmas extends far beyond that to include Boxing Day breakfasts and often several mornings past that. That’s how magical Christmas truly is.

It’s the time of year when people around the world eat things they usually wouldn’t for breakfast. This is normally a secret practice, the knowledge of which is confined to one’s own home. It is rarely spoken of on the streets or in polite company.

Until this morning, December 27th.

I was on my couch, sipping coffee and nibbling on fresh fruit (a.k.a. homemade fudge) while scrolling through Facebook when I stumbled upon a friend’s post. It was a picture of an empty plate littered with crumbs.

The caption read: Pumpkin pie is a legit breakfast, right?

GASP!

I’m not the only one! It was so liberating to answer that post with my own confession. My Boxing Day breakfast had been shortbread. I felt the shame brought on by reading endless shared posts of healthy breakfasts that everyone else in the world appeared to be eating. Instead of kale quinoa cakes with a hint of coconut oil, I had scarfed down several pieces of shortbread. I live alone and had closed my curtains first, of course, so no one was the wiser.

I wondered what other people secretly eat for their own post-holiday breakfasts and realized this could be a valuable guide for others. I decided to do some in-depth research, whereby I read the rest of the comments on that post and thought back to my own breakfasts from Christmases past.

Here’s a List of 5 Legit Post-Holiday Breakfasts to Try When No One is Looking

1. Pie

This one is a no-brainer. Pie is always an excellent post-holiday breakfast choice and it comes in many forms, like pumpkin, apple, blueberry, or even pigeon, if you want to go all old-timey, French traditional. Make sure to add whipped cream to your pie of choice.

2. Shortbread

One of my favourite breakfasts after Christmas. There is nothing as magical as a lump of baked shortening, sugar, and butter to get your day started for lying on the couch and watching movies.

3. Carrot Cake

This is practically health food since it has carrots in it, but it qualifies as magical due to the sugary icing.

4. Stuffing and Fruitcake

That’s what one of my friends had for breakfast. I did a slow clap for this one. Kudos to her for originality and creativity. This is what can happen when you put your mind to it.

5. Stuffing and Gravy

This is from my past. I woke up one Boxing Day craving nothing but stuffing and gravy, so I ate a plate of it before anyone else woke up.

While this is by no means a complete list of magically sanctioned post-holiday breakfasts, it should help you get started in coming up with your own ideas for Christmases to come, or at least make you feel less guilty for that candy cane dipped in Bailey’s that you had yesterday morning.