As the most significant time of the year approaches, Xavier students find their days of December filled with finals, family obligations and festive gatherings. Through all the busy days, an ominous and possibly unanswerable question looms over all of us:

Who is the bigger Christmas icon? Mariah Carey or Michael Bublé?

Both musical talents provide the soundtrack to our Christmas season whether when decorating the tree, cookies or cramming for finals. Whether it’s Mariah and her fan-favorite classic pop hits or Michael with his jazzy tunes that transport the listener back in time with Frank Sinatra vibes, both musicians have something to offer when it comes to holiday track lists. To conclude this seemingly unsolvable question, I took to social media in hopes to finally receive answers.

I quickly posted a poll to Facebook and Instagram, anxiously watching as the votes came in. Initially, I began to notice a pattern: as one icon would rise the other would fall. Then, in a few minutes, the falling icon would rise again in hopes to solidify their place. The votes varied for a long time, giving no clear answer of who was truly the respective king or queen of Christmas music. As the hours passed it was still unclear, but I remained hopeful for Mariah. I watched as my peers became just as passionate about this topic as me. I decided I could no longer sit and wait so I took to the Xavier campus to inquire from my peers which artist appealed to them more and why.

I first approached junior Grace Haak to inquire who she saw as a greater Christmas icon and why. Grace explained she finds herself listening to Michael and upon being asked why she answered, “Michael Bublé is just the gift that keeps on giving…his smooth, jazzy vocals make his music the official sound of Christmas. His classy and charming performances almost look effortless, bringing him up to the caliber of a modern-day Frank Sinatra. From soft, romantic tunes to upbeat jingles, Bublé encompasses all the joy and cheer of the holiday season.”

With someone as passionate as Haak about her love for Bublé, I was now in search for someone who held such a high standard for Mariah. Junior Faith Kruckenburg justly defended her side with an equally as passionate answer: “There’s probably not a person in the world who can listen to “All I Want for Christmas is You” and not be instantly put into a cheery mood. While some say the holiday classic is overplayed, it’s because it’s that: a classic. Mariah Carey’s diva attitude is complemented by her incredible vocals and iconic Christmas sound. She is and always will be the ultimate Christmas icon; I mean, just the first riff of her song is enough to put her on the top of the charts every holiday season.”

After discussing the topic with various students and friends, I decided to check my poll again. It had been roughly 7 hours, and votes were calculated with Mariah receiving 78 votes and Michael with 85. Each minute that passed the numbers were growing higher, but were still unclear. I was still more eager than ever to find answers this unsolvable question.

I left my poll to simmer overnight and in the morning I planned to calculate the votes fully. After almost 24 hours, the results were in. Michael had surpassed Mariah receiving 124 votes versus Mariah’s 119 votes. So, it is safe to say Michael Buble is the official king of Christmas.