Mariah Carey Thaws Out and Declares ‘It’s Time’ as She Rings in the Holiday Season

So long, spooky season! As the clock struck midnight on Nov. 1, Mariah Carey kicked off “Mariah SZN” by getting into the Christmas spirit.

The legendary songstress shared a silly video on Instagram in the early hours of Wednesday morning, as the dust had barely settled on Halloween night, showing a vault and a digital clock ticking its way toward the first day of November. As the vault opens, we see a gaggle of creepy Halloween characters chipping away and thawing an ice block that holds a festively-clad Carey. 

Cue the snowflakes! Carey busts out a jaw-dropping high note, singing, “It’s time!” Then she’s joined by her children, son Moroccan and daughter Monroe — whom she shares with her ex-husband, Nick Cannon — and dancing elves on a holiday-themed set while her 1994 classic, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” plays in the background. 

In the end, Carey blows a kiss to the camera before on-screen text doubles down, “It’s Time!”

The 54-year-old singer previously teased the rollout to her annual holiday season takeover by sharing her pop culture-inspired Halloween costumes on Instagram and the hashtag, #NotYet. In one post, she poses as the sultry Jessica Rabbit. In another, she channels Rachel McAdams‘ Mean Girls character, Regina George. 

Carey’s fun transformation videos have become something of a tradition for the star. Last year, she segued from witch mode while riding a stationary bike into the queen of Christmas on a reindeer’s back. 

Back in November 2021, Mariah spoke to ET’s Kevin Frazier about prepping for Christmas early. 

“I know we’re early, Kevin, I’m not saying we’re not early. We’ve gotta get through Thanksgiving first and I know this, but when I made my first Christmas album and I was traveling the world, I was like, ‘Wow, they’re really into Christmas early because there’s no Thanksgiving,'” she explained at the time. 

Carey also shared why going all-in on the holiday season is so important to her. 

“In my memoir, I talk about how when I was a little kid, growing up with no money, growing up being mixed [race], not understanding, having identity issues, and then going through my career and the different things that have happened, that I never even talked about to even some of my best friends,” Carey shared of the childhood experiences she detailed in her book, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. “When I wrote about Christmas, I was like, ‘Oh wait, I don’t want to bring people down,’ ’cause this seemed like depressing stuff that happened.”

She continued, “But that’s the reason that it motivated me to really go all the way in every Christmas, every year. I just want my kids to have the best time, and honestly, a lot of it is for me.”

Earlier this week, Carey announced new dates had been added to her Merry Christmas One and All Tour. The trek will kick off Nov. 15 and wrap on Dec. 17 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. 

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