Mariah Carey stopped by the Library of Congress for a tour last week and received a certificate from Santa that commemorates the induction of “All I Want For Christmas is You” in the 2023 National Recording Registry.
Carey surprised a festive crowd during the Library’s Santa Claus edition of “Live! At the Library“ making an entrance as her signature hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” played in the Great Hall.
She was decked out in a sparkling dress and pink high heels as she picked up the song’s framed certificate of induction from the National Recording Registry from Librarian Carla Hayden. She also posed for a couple of photos by the Christmas tree.
Carey made her visit during a trip through Washington while on a one-day break from her Christmas concert tour.
She was delighted earlier this year when “All I Want” was inducted into the recording registry, earning a forever home in the Library as part of the country’s official heritage in music and sound recordings. During an interview, she accepted an invitation to visit when she was next in Washington.
Carey co-wrote the song with Walter Afanasieff in 1994.
Billboard Magazine puts it at No.1 in its list of “Greatest Of All Time Holiday 100 Songs.”
“I wanted (the song) to embody all the things I didn’t have when I was a kid,” she said.
Mariah Carey at the Library of Congress
Mariah Carey at the Library of Congress