Adam Sandler reveals Roseanne Barr was initially supposed to debut “The Hanukkah Song” on ‘SNL’

While this time of year has become synonymous with Mariah Carey on the radio, for many, fall also means the Sandman cometh: Adam Sandler and his smash “The Hanukkah Song.”

In fact, some have dubbed him “the Mariah Carey of Hannukah,” but he laughed that title off in a chat with Access Hollywood. “No,” he said with a laugh. “Mariah Carey is for all of us.”

“But man, I’m happy to be a part of Hanukkah, that was a good time of life to be associated with a song and the holidays,” Sandler continued. “I’m very proud of that.”

Sandler debuted the ditty during a Weekend Update segment on Saturday Night Live in 1994, but he credits the host that evening, Roseanne Barr, with giving him the spotlight.

“They were talking about Roseanne singing it, and she was nice enough to say, ‘No, let Adam do that, that’s his, he wrote it, that’s his song.'”

The rest, as they say, is history.

Adam, who can be now heard as the voice of a grade school pet lizard in Netflix’s Leo, says he remains “very proud” to still be associated with the song and the holiday. He notes, “If it comes on the radio, and I hear it, I get excited. That’s still awesome.”

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