As soon as the jack-o-lanterns start to rot and the last bit of candy has been handed out, something happens in this country.
It becomes Mariah Carey season.
Previously known as the Holiday Season, which already had ambiguous beginning and end dates depending on who you ask, Mariah Carey Season is when it is socially acceptable to play her hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
That day seems to be creeping higher and higher up the calendar, too. To celebrate the changing of the seasons, Carey is releasing a full line of holiday merchandise, whether you have your tree up already or you’re at least waiting until the Thanksgiving turkey is cooled off.
This year’s line includes a tree ornament, a pajama set, an adult onesie, T-shirts, a hoodie, an apron, a monogrammed robe, enamel pins, a blanket, and a candle with the single’s famous artwork on it.
Preorders started Nov. 1.
At this point, the song is an institution. Carey never needs to release another song in her life, and we’ll still play her music every time it starts getting even remotely cold outside.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” is one of the most famous Christmas songs, and that’s impressive given how old most of them are. It’s rare that someone just comes along and shakes up the entire holiday tradition with one song.
But, here we are, and plenty of Gen X-ers, millennials and even Gen Z-ers are just waiting for their excuse to start playing the song and lighting an evergreen-scented candle.
As long as people still get this excited over the song, there will be a good reason for Carey to keep releasing holiday merchandise collections year after year.
