"It's Tiiiime!" Here's the Meaning Behind Those Iconic Mariah Carey Defrosting Memes

In the blink of an eye, Halloween has come and gone! While most are busy mourning the end of spooky season, others — including yours truly, of course — are practically doing the jingle bell rock in anticipation of the holiday season.

And what better way to usher in the most wonderful time of the year than by cranking up Christmas music — specifically Mariah Carey's smash hit, "All I Want for Christmas Is You."

But even before the last trick-or-treater left, social media was buzzing with jokes about how our holiday queen Mariah Carey started to defrost. What does that even mean?

For the past few years, starting in 2017, fans have realized that "All I Want for Christmas Is You" has become the ultimate modern Christmas anthem. It blares through the speakers everywhere, perfectly capturing the mood shift as we all say goodbye to fall and hello to winter wonderland vibes!

The flood of memes is a hilarious reminder that as the holiday season rolls in, Mariah's hit will be on constant replay. Plus, the running joke is that Mariah hibernates all year long, and come November 1, she "wakes up" or, you know, defrosts — because that's when her song starts playing on every corner.

In fact, every October 30, social media lights up with a video of Mariah in a Santa outfit behind a glass sheet, cracking as if to say, "It's time!" The best-selling tune plays softly in the background, hinting that once that glass shatters, it'll be full-volume Christmas chaos!

Since 2019, Mariah has jumped right into the holiday fun, making it a tradition to kick off the festive season in style. Her social media posts have only gotten more extra over the years, but one thing remains constant: They all feature the phrase "It's time" along with her iconic tune.

On Nov. 1, 2024, Mariah shared a hilarious video that cleverly played off the defrosting meme. In the clip, she and a man dressed as Gomez and Morticia Addams dance around a grand mansion. The video starts in black and white, but as pages of a calendar fly from October 31 to November 1, it bursts into color as a Christmas outfit is shown dazzling over a grandfather clock.

It then cuts to Mariah, surrounded by wrapped gifts, rocking that outfit while whistle-singing "It's time!" And just like that, Mariah's best-selling Christmas song kicks in, filling the air with plenty of holiday cheer.

Just when you think it can't get any better, Gomez transforms into an animated snowman, dancing along to the song. The camera pans to reveal a frosty Christmas scene, complete with reindeer pulling the sleigh on an ice rick. Ah, classic Mariah magic!

Along with the laugh-out-loud memes of Mariah Carey defrosting for the holiday season, another fan favorite is the hilarious posts about her retreating into her hibernation cave after Christmas.

Once the last jingle bells ring and the festivities wind down, fans joyfully whip up a few memes depicting Mariah snuggling up until the next Christmas rolls around. It's become a beloved tradition to celebrate her brief winter nap, reminding us all that even our favorite diva needs a little downtime after spreading that holiday cheer!