Following the success of her 1993 album "Music Box", Carey and her management at Columbia Records began devising ideas and strategies for subsequent projects. Carey's then-husband, Tommy Mottola, head of Columbia's parent label Sony Music Entertainment, began mapping out possible followups for Carey during the height of her career. During initial discussions regarding the thought of doing a Christmas-themed album with Carey and her songwriting partner of over four years, Walter Afanasieff, the fear arose that it was not commercially expedient or wise to release holiday music at the peak of one's career, as it was more often equated with a release towards the end of a musician's waning career.