Every year around this time, a debate begins over the appropriate to start celebrating the holidays. Do we have to wait for Halloween to pass before we start rewatching the best Christmas movies? Wait until after Thanksgiving to put up the tree? Hold off on Christmas music until December? Everybody seems to have their own rules, but I think most of us can agree that there’s only one individual who can officially kick off the holidays — Mariah Carey — and I am loving the fan response to her trolling us for being ready to deck the halls.
If you’re not listening to Mariah Carey sing “All I Want for Christmas Is You” on at least a daily basis during the holiday months, I’m afraid you’re doing it wrong. As soon as there’s the first hint of cooler weather and Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I’ve got my 2024 Christmas movie schedule out to plan my year-end viewing, and my finger is just hovering over the Play button of my Christmas playlist, waiting for Carey to give the signal. I’m not alone, either, as she posted an Instagram video trolling us with those oh-so-familiar opening notes:
The video shows Mariah Carey, presumably on her private jet, settling her brain for a long winter’s nap (even with her sunglasses still on her head), when the captain announces they’re ready to head to the North Pole. The singer then politely shouts to him, “Not yet! Sorry!” before turning back to the camera and saying:
They always rush me.
It’s just so hard to wait! Many fans expressed their excitement in the comments, saying they’re ready to kick off the most wonderful time of the year with the return of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” to the regular rotation. However, fans mostly agreed to be patient until the five-time Grammy Award winner says the time has come. They wrote:
- We don’t move until the Queen of Christmas says it’s time for Christmas!!🎄😂❤️ – thomasadrianna1
- Take your time, Queen. We are so ready for you! 💚👑 – yaamava
- October is the new December Mariah!!! – hakui_jc
- Nah go ahead and get there...I'm good skipping Halloween and Thanksgiving 🎄 – 90skid4lyfe
- Merry ain’t Merry without Mariah! 🎄we ready for you! – mrsmnisi
This wasn’t the first time Mariah Carey has urged us to practice patience. In 2021 she posted a video to hype us up for Christmas by showing her kids interrupting her bathtime to ask if it was time to play the song and decorate the tree. Her response then was the same as now: “Not yet!”
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” is considered by many to be THE definitive song for the holiday season, and that is evidenced by just how often that song is played on radio stations, grocery stores and every single Christmas event all season. After holding the No. 1 spot on the charts every year since 2019, however, Mariah Carey was dethroned by Brenda Lee in 2023 with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
Which queen of Christmas will hold the crown at the end of this holiday season? Apparently we’ve still got some time before that race can be run.