Mariah Carey Says Her Love Of Christmas Was Actually Sparked By Her ‘Dysfunctional’ Upbringing—”I created the Christmases that I wanted to have”

If the Christmas season is a mood for the rest of us, Mariah Carey has proved time and again that it’s a lifestyle for her.

Like Saint Nick himself, the “All I Want for Christmas Is You” singer has become a figure of the Yuletide season in so many ways herself. So much so that she’s become a Christmas fixture featuring holiday-themed TV specials and concerts. You’d think Carey’s passion for Christmas was inspired by her own personal and familiar experiences with the holiday season but recently the singer revealed her love for the holidays is related much more to her “dysfunctional” upbringing.

In a recent interview, the 51-year-old singer revealed that even though she always wanted a perfect holiday, she never quite experienced one as a child.

“I think it’s just that longing that I had as a child, that I always wanted things to be perfect for the holidays. And they never were,” Carey explained to Elle magazine in an interview. “It was always somebody ruining the moment, always these dysfunctional family members who came around and foiled everything. And so I just made a pact with myself that I wasn’t going to allow that to happen anymore.” Carey revealed that as an adult she “created the Christmases that I wanted to have.”

Carey revealed that this desire to create special festivities has inspired elaborate festivities for her and her kids.

“I literally go to a snowy place. Reindeer are there,” Carey shared. “I’m not making this up. Santa Claus comes, hangs out with the kids. And by the way, even if I didn’t have kids, I would be doing this.”

This year, Carey suggested that the holidays would be a bit bittersweet. Referring to the current coronavirus pandemic plaguing families across the country this season, Carey commented that “It’s been such a hard year, and I really feel like people so need a celebratory moment. At every turn, it’s like, ‘We can’t be [together]; you can’t celebrate. This is canceled; that’s canceled.’ “

Carey finished the video saying “I’m festive. I can’t help it!”

Carey’slatest latest holiday special, “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special,” premieres Friday on Apple TV Plus.