How Queen Of Christmas Mariah Carey Preps For The Holiday Season

Mariah Carey is obsessed with Christmas for one heartwarming reason: She wants to give herself and her kids an experience she never had. The “Emotions” singer shares twins Morrocan and Monroe Cannon with her ex-husband Nick Cannon. Looking back on her own challenging childhood, Carey opened up to Elle about her complicated family that often disrupted the joyous moments.

“I think it’s just that longing that I had as a child, that I always wanted things to be perfect for the holidays,” she explained, recalling her family’s problematic dynamics. “It was always somebody ruining the moment, always these dysfunctional family members who came around and foiled everything.”

Now a parent herself, Carey has made it her mission to shield her children from the holiday heartaches she endured. Ever since they were little, Carey has been open about spoiling Morrocan and Monroe with the childhood experiences she didn’t have. “I create my own Christmas moment. I mean, Santa Claus visits us. He comes with his reindeer. I am not exaggerating — this is the truth,” she told Us Weekly. “I love giving them gifts because the act of opening up a ton of presents is something I wasn’t able to do as a child.”