Mariah Carey on holiday hosting: eggnog, diamonds and no cooking till Christmas Eve

Mariah Carey has officially defrosted. This week the undisputed queen of Christmas was announced as the star of Gucci's 2026 holiday campaign, and last night she hit the Italian label's private store event in New York City to kick off the festive party season, handing out Gucci gifts to guests as a full choir sang her biggest hits.

Before the soirée, Vogue caught Carey for a quick round of holiday questions, and her answers feel like a peek behind the perfectly curated curtain. Her first confession: Christmas morning in the Carey household starts at mid-afternoon. "I'm not a morning person, that's the thing," she said. "I wait till mid-afternoon, and then we start with the opening of the gifts."

As for the food, Carey does cook - but only for about 48 hours a year. "I don't cook earlier in the year," she admitted. "I wait 'til Christmas Eve, or the day before Christmas Eve, and I make linguini with white clam sauce - the way my dad used to make it." She adds a red sauce too, then happily eats the leftovers for days.

The dream guest list

Her go-to cocktail needs no recipe: "Eggnog. Come on! You put whatever brown liquor you have, and then just throw it into the eggnog, and it's eggnog."

And she's refreshingly honest about hosting. "I don't usually have a holiday bash, because I'm just doing my own thing," she said. "I'm not big on hosting. I'd rather go to something where someone's a really good hostess or host." Asked which three celebrities she'd invite, she named Marilyn Monroe and Tupac - then reserved a spot for her dogs: "The dogs get a seat at the table. They have to be there."

The best gift she's ever given and received? "Diamonds. And diamonds." As for her evergreen hit, she never meant it to be huge: "I was just there writing my little song that ended up lasting."

In the new campaign video, Carey arrives at a holiday party in full Demna-era Gucci, mingling to the tune of "All I Want for Christmas Is You." For her own party outfit, her rule is exacting: "These Gucci boots, which I love. They don't hurt - that's number one." New Year's resolutions, though? "We'll have to wait and see."