Mariah Carey Kicks off the Holiday Season With 'It's Time' Video — How It Started and Which One Is the Best So Far?

Mariah Carey just dropped her annual 'It's Time' video, kicking off the holiday season for 2025.

This year, the 'Queen of Christmas' collaborated with Sephora, plus a special guest, Billy Eichner, as an elf!

On Halloween midnight last Friday, Mariah Carey and her team kept up their beloved annual tradition by posting the iconic 'It's Time' video across social media — the signal that the holiday season has officially begun.

Queen of Christmas kicks-off the holiday season

This year's edition comes with a festive twist: Carey teamed up with Sephora and actor Billy Eichner for a playful skit that once again puts her 1994 classic 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' back in the spotlight.

The video, which has already racked up over 98.5 million views on TikTok, was captioned by Carey, 'It's Time!!!🎄🎁 #SephoraPartner.'

It opens with Carey dressed as an angel, declaring, 'Halloween slayed! But now, it's time,' as the familiar opening notes of her holiday anthem begin to play.

She suddenly stops, noticing her vanity in disarray and realising her Sephora bag has been robbed.

She accuses a thief—revealed to be Billy Eichner as a mischievous elf—who jokes about 'elf revenge' and pawning her makeup for therapy.

After trading sassy lines, Carey smirks and hits her signature whistle note, transforming Eichner into a snowman and herself into a glamorous red Santa suit.

The video ends with her flying off in a reindeer-pulled sleigh, dropping Sephora gift bags down chimneys — officially ushering in the Christmas season, Mariah Carey style.

But what really started this Christmas tradition kick-off?

How did this yearly tradition start?

It all started six years ago, when Carey posted her first 'It's Time' video, declaring the start of the Christmas season at the stroke of midnight on 1 November 2019.

These videos also crowned her the 'Queen of Christmas'.

She explained to Vanity Fair that she and her team used to say 'not yet' whenever people played her Christmas songs too early, but then decided to create a video to signal that it was finally 'time'.

'So me and the team sat down and decided, okay, we'll make an "it's time" video to signal when it's time,' said Carey. 'I love "It's time." It's so fun,' she added.

In The Business Times, she added: 'People would say, "Hey, when is it OK to put our lights up?" People just asked me because I guess they thought I was very Christmassy.'

Over time, the productions have grown more elaborate, reflecting how she continues to invest in and elevate the beloved tradition.

'It's Time' video throughout the years

With Carey doing it for seven Christmases already, it can't help but ask which one is the best so far, and the internet is always present with its opinions. With each varying from one another, every 'It's Time' video showcases Mariah Carey's creativity, humour, and love for the festive season in her own iconic way.

2019 – The Beginning: Carey wakes up at midnight on 1 November, declares 'It's time,' and officially ushers in Christmas.

2020 – Spooky to Sparkly: A Halloween monster opens a door marked 'Not Yet', revealing Mariah in a festive, sparkly Christmas room.

2021 – Pumpkin Smash: She smashes a pumpkin carved with 'It's Not Time' using a candy-cane bat.

2022 – Witch Transformation: The singer appears as a witch on a bike before transforming into her festive, glamorous self.

2023 – The Defrosting: Encased in a block of ice, she breaks free with a whistle note and declares, 'It's time!'

2024 – Addams Family Glam: Channeling Morticia Addams, she transitions from gothic mansion to Christmas sleigh in a glittering red outfit

2025 – Sleigh Ride Spectacle: Joined by Billy Eichner as an elf, she rides a sleigh and announces the festive season with her trademark whistle.

Which one is the best so far? The internet's verdict

Many fans hailed the 2024 video as the best yet, with one commenter calling it 'The best one yet!!!' and another raving, 'EPIC!!!!!! The budget said YES!'

One even pointed out 'Did anyone notice that the horror music tune in the video is actually the exact tune of 'All I want for Christmas' ??? 😍😍😍That's brilliantly transformed !!!!'

On Reddit, users praised the 2023 edition for its elevated production value, with one noting how the production value seems to have gotten a massive raise that year.

However, not everyone was impressed—some critics viewed the annual rollout as a clever marketing tactic, with one commenter remarking, 'The biggest marketing gimmick was making people associate Christmas with Mariah, not Jesus Christ.'

Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' first hit the charts in 1994 but didn't reach number one on Billboard's Hot 100 until 2019.

Decades later, the beloved holiday anthem continues to dominate — last year, it stayed at the top of the chart for 18 consecutive weeks.