Mariah Carey doesn’t do things like everyone else, especially when it comes to celebrating the holidays. Unlike us, mere mortals, who play the holiday season with some cookies, eggnog and classic Christmas movies, the Grammy-winning pop star takes her traditions to the next level by taking her Christmas celebrations to the next level.
Want to know what they are? Read below to learn all about Carey’s Christmas traditions that are nothing short of fabulous, dear!
As a child, Mariah Carey always dreamed of having the perfect Christmas
Carey may be a big fan of Christmas, but the holiday season has not always been bright and cheerful for her.
As he grew up, the singer’s family had no money for expensive gifts. But despite not being well off, Carey made the most of the happy day with her mother, who did her best to put aside the “trauma and drama” of their lives for that day.
Still, Carey’s Christmases would always end up being ruined by their “dysfunctional family members” – that is, their stepbrother and sister.
According to the hitmaker, his brother used to get into heated arguments over Christmas dinner that “exploded in a torrent of verbal abuse”.
Dealing with these unhappy experiences during the festive period as a child has become a norm for Carey. However, she never gave up hope and always dreamed of one day having a “perfect” Christmas.
“I was sitting in the middle of the chaos, crying and wishing,” Carey recalls in his memoirs, The meaning of Mariah Carey. “Wishing they would stop screaming, wishing my mother could stop them from screaming and cursing. Wishing to be somewhere safe and joyful – somewhere that felt like Christmas. “
All Carey could do in the middle of the drama was to use her imagination to escape reality, and that allowed her to see her perfect Christmas: one full of fun, laughter and a ton of Christmas joy.
“I started to create my own magical and happy Christmas world,” she continued. “My imaginary Christmas was filled with Santa Claus, reindeer, snowmen and all the bells and ornaments that a girl’s dreams could contain.”
After divorcing her first husband, Mariah Carey started making Christmas extravagant
Over the years, Carey continued to dream of the perfect vacation for her and her family.
But everything changed after her divorce from her first husband, Tommy Mottola, in 1998. After her brief marriage, Carey finally gave herself the Christmas she always wanted, making the holidays as extravagant and over the top as she could.
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“After I kind of emerged from my first relationship-marriage-cut [to Tommy Mottola] I created the Christmases I wanted, ”she recently told ELLE magazine. “A lot of really bad things happened to me when I was 12. But there is also the spirit of that child, that fighter who does not give up, who embraces who she is, even if the world has not understood this from my point of view. “
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Now that Carey is grown up and has a family of her own, making sure her twins, Moroccan and Monroe, have a perfect Christmas each year is one of her top priorities.
“I want to make it magical for my children. You know, I think it was that kind of childish love for Christmas that saved me. I go through so much all year long just to have a great Christmas. ”She explained to Cosmpolitan UK in 2019.“ I really enjoyed that, thank you. I think everyone should spend Christmas with me because it is a great experience. “
About how she and her children celebrate the holidays, Carey revealed that she goes further with the Christmas festivities.
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“Christmas officially begins on the 23rd with my extended family. We are not together, but Nick [Cannon, Carey’s ex-husband and the father of her twins] will usually appear. And we are usually in Aspen (they are on a $ 22 million property, courtesy of Airbnb), ”she shared with the publication. “When I get off the plane, our drivers have All I want for Christmas… Jokingly, we have hot chocolate and some caramel schnapps. Then, we will go through the forest in an open sledge of two horses with blankets and real reindeer. “
The singer continued: “It is very cold, but it is beautiful and you are looking at the stars. It’s an incredible moment that I love every year. “
While some of these traditions may be a little unrealistic for the middle-class American, Carey says he also participates in some activities that are essential for the holiday in most families.
“[We play] taboo every year. Now, sometimes, just to involve children in writing and other things, we will do Head’s Up, which is very similar to Taboo, ”she explained. “I am very competitive.”
She added: “I only watch Christmas movies and only listen to Christmas music – that’s the only thing that can happen at my home. I used to bring DVDs, but now it’s usually between Netflix and Amazon Prime – they have categories for Christmas movies. I Love It’s a wonderful life, elf, four Christmases and [of course] True love – my music is in it, I had to approve it. “