Famously, all Mariah Carey wants for Christmas is you.
Now, as a Jew, I try not to oversaturate myself with Christmas content during the winter holiday season. But credit where it’s due, I could listen to the singer-songwriter’s 1994 hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” all day long. Mariah’s amazing vocal register and the song’s off-the-charts danceability are quite simply A+ entertainment.
In all honesty, the only thing that could make it better would be a Mariah Carey Hanukkah remix — something I’ve been very seriously advocating for since last year:
i'm begging mariah carey to record a hanukkah bop and call it "all i want for christmas is jew"
— evelyn gee frick (@evelyngfrick) November 5, 2021
While there’s no indication that “All I Want for Christmas Is Jew” will be happening any time soon, Mariah Carey has given the Jewish people the next best thing: an Instagram video (uploaded by Jewish “Dear Evan Hansen” co-composer Benj Pasek) in which she wishes everyone a happy Hanukkah and ends with a playful “Shaloooooom!”:
As comedian Jeff Hiller wrote in the comments, “This was more surprising than the ‘White Lotus’ finale.” I couldn’t have said it better myself; I was absolutely not expecting Mariah Carey to pop out of nowhere, offer a Hanukkah greeting with flair and then immediately disappear off-camera to continue doing whatever it is that Christmas Queens do. That said, unlike “The White Lotus” finale, this was a lovely surprise. I might just require a Mariah Carey greeting for all other Jewish holidays — just imagine what she would do for Tu Bishvat.
Anyway: Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to you, too, Mariah Carey! And, of course, shaloooooooooom!
