Some celebrity mishaps vanish as quickly as they arrive, but every so often, a single moment lodges itself in the public imagination and refuses to leave. For Camila Cabello, the 2021 White House Christmas performance was just such an event—one that, three years on, continues to haunt and amuse in equal measure. The reason? A single, unexpected twist of the tongue that turned the word "Christmas" into the now-legendary "quismois," launching a meme that seems destined to outlast even the most stubborn holiday fruitcake.
It all began in December 2021, when Cabello was invited to perform "I’ll Be Home for Christmas" in the Grand Foyer of the White House as part of PBS’s holiday special, "In Performance at the White House: Spirit of the Season." The performance, festive and polished in every other respect, took an unexpected turn about 45 seconds in, when her pronunciation of "Christmas" sounded more like "quismois." According to CinemaBlend, the internet wasted no time, looping the clip endlessly and turning Cabello’s slip into a seasonal meme. TikTok, in particular, transformed the moment into a piece of pop culture folklore, with fans and trolls alike riffing on the new holiday vocabulary.
What might have been a fleeting embarrassment instead blossomed into a recurring, lighthearted tradition. Rather than shy away from the viral moment, Cabello embraced it, demonstrating a self-awareness and humor that only endeared her further to fans. On December 24, 2025, she leaned into the joke once again, posting a TikTok video that directly addressed the persistent question: “Why do you pronounce Christmas like that?”
In the video, Cabello sits in front of a glowing Christmas tree—an image that’s become almost as iconic as the meme itself. She mouths along to an audio track of laughter, then delivers the mock-serious line, “No, no, but it’s not funny at the end of the day, is it? It’s serious.” The caption? “December is a triggering time for me.” According to Entertainment Weekly and Cosmopolitan, the post quickly caught fire, with fans piling into the comments to show their support and share their own affection for "quismois."
The meme’s annual resurgence has become something of a holiday tradition. Each December, as Christmas trees light up and Bing Crosby’s classic fills the air, the “quismois” moment returns—much like the Ghost of Christmas Past, but with far more laughter. Fans have suggested everything from "quismois"-themed merchandise to a full album, and comments on her TikTok range from “It’s ICONIC actually” to “Patiently waiting for the Quismois album.” As CinemaBlend observed, for Cabello, the holidays now come with a side of meme nostalgia—one she seems to relish as much as her audience.
Cabello’s playful approach to the viral moment didn’t end with this year’s TikTok. Back in 2022, she posted another hilarious video, pretending to coach herself on the correct pronunciation of "Christmas" before ultimately reverting to "quismois" with a resigned, “It’s gonna be great.” The caption read, “me before recording my version of I’ll Be Home for Christmas (quismois),” a wink to fans who had been in on the joke since the beginning. This self-deprecating humor has become a hallmark of Cabello’s public persona, turning what could have been a sore spot into an enduring source of joy.
It’s not just the meme that has stuck around. Cabello’s cover of "I’ll Be Home for Christmas," released around the same time as the original viral incident, has taken on a new life—one that’s inextricably linked to the “quismois” phenomenon. As Cosmopolitan noted, her rendition, originally popularized by Bing Crosby in 1943, now carries a mischievous, modern twist—like an inside joke shared with millions. It’s nostalgia with a wink, and it’s made the song a staple of holiday playlists for fans who remember the meme’s origins.
Of course, not all the attention has been strictly about the music or the meme. This December, Cabello’s social media presence drew added scrutiny amid rumors about her relationship with Lebanese businessman Henry Junior Chalhoub. As reported by Glamour and Entertainment Weekly, fans noticed the pair had stopped appearing together in public, sparking speculation. Cabello addressed her quieter online presence earlier in the month, explaining that she’d stepped back to focus on real life and commit to a personal digital detox. “December is a triggering time for me,” she joked in her TikTok caption, but the subtext was clear: sometimes, a little distance from the digital world is necessary, even for the queen of self-aware memes.
Her fans, for their part, have been both supportive and enthusiastic, urging her to embrace the meme even further. Suggestions for “quismois” merchandise, themed albums, and more have poured in, with comments like, “Diva just embrace it, make a Quismois merch for next year,” and “OMG MOTHER OF QUISMOIS.” It’s a testament to the way Cabello’s audience has rallied around her—not just tolerating the viral moment, but celebrating it as a symbol of holiday cheer and internet culture at its most playful.
Meanwhile, Cabello’s career has continued to evolve. In 2024, she released her fourth solo studio album, C,XOXO, and after her digital detox, she told fans she was looking forward to creating music with a refreshed mindset. According to CinemaBlend, the hope among her followers is that she’ll one day channel the “quismois” spirit into new music—or at least a few more memes.
What’s clear is that the “quismois” moment has become more than just a meme; it’s woven itself into the fabric of holiday pop culture. Each year, as December rolls around, Cabello’s slip resurfaces—not as an embarrassment, but as a joyful, communal joke. In a world where viral moments can be fleeting or even painful, “quismois” stands out as a rare instance of a celebrity not just surviving a meme, but thriving because of it.
Some ghosts of Christmas past are best left behind. But the ghost of “quismois” is one that jingles merrily on, making the holidays a little brighter—and a lot more fun—for everyone in on the joke.
