Elvis Holiday: Experience the Timeless Magic of Christmas Traditions in Graceland

Graceland's Reverence Over Time

In the years since Elvis Presley's passing, his Memphis estate, Graceland, has become hallowed ground. With 600,000 fans making the pilgrimage annually, Graceland at Christmas ranks second only to Elvis Week in August as the estate's most-visited time. The landmarked home and museum, adorned with memorabilia and records, have welcomed Elvis enthusiasts since opening to the public in 1982. The dedicated staff at Graceland works tirelessly year-round to keep the American icon's spirit alive on the property. Still, there's something undeniably special about the holidays at Graceland. Partly because Presley was, in the words of Graceland's vice president of archives and exhibits, Angie Marchese, a true "Christmas guy."

Christmas Transformation at Graceland

"Elvis loved Christmas; it was his favorite holiday," shares Marchese, who has been a part of the Graceland legacy for over 30 years, starting as a tour guide at 17. She explains that the staff delved into Presley's Christmas traditions in the early 1990s. Following the wishes of the "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" singer, Graceland transforms into a winter wonderland right around Thanksgiving.

Preserving Elvis's Christmas Decor Legacy

Throughout the year, Graceland sports blue drapes on the main floor. However, Presley would have them swapped out for festive red ones during the holidays. The team located those original drapes in excellent condition and rehangs them annually. While the crimson curtains play a crucial role in setting a joyous holiday mood, they are just one part of the Christmas decor that dates back to Presley's residency.

"The dining room [held] their main Christmas tree, heavily decorated with lights, tinsel, and various eclectic ornaments," Marchese recounts. "The tinsel that we put on that tree every year is the original tinsel from when Elvis decorated it." Preserving the festive spirit, the tinsel survived Presley's yearly decorating routine, where, according to Priscilla, he would throw it at the tree like a snowball.

The Enduring Holiday Spirit

Presley's festive celebrations extended from the interior of Graceland to the surrounding lawns. Despite Graceland being a home and not a museum during Presley's time, he kept the local interest in mind, adorning the grounds with lawn ornaments. "The very first Christmas lawn ornament Elvis displayed is the 'Merry Christmas to All' lights with Santa and the reindeer," Marchese reveals. "He put it there the Christmas of '57, which was his first Christmas at Graceland. He paid $300 for it."

The nativity scene on display today also traces back to Presley's time at Graceland. Initially starting with a smaller-scale version in the early 1960s, he upgraded to larger pieces in 1969, showcasing his penchant for grandeur.

And what's Christmas without a dazzling display of lights? Unsurprisingly, the "Blue Christmas" singer opted for blue lights. In the mid-1960s, Presley was captivated by a house in California with a driveway lined with blue lights. This inspiration led him to have Graceland adorned similarly.

Marchese recalls, "His father joked he was surprised not to wake up with an airplane landed on Graceland's front yard, because the driveway looked just like a runway, and the airport's only five miles from us."

The decorations remain in place until January 8, Presley's birthday. However, one exceptional year, a Christmas tree in Graceland was kept in Presley's father's office and remained untouched until spring. Presley's military service in Germany from October 1958 to March 1960 kept him away from Graceland for the holidays.

"Because he wasn't at Graceland for Christmas that year, they left the Christmas tree up in his dad's office until the day Elvis came home from the army in March of 1960," Marchese recounts.

Presley's granddaughter Riley Keough produced Graceland's first Christmas special this December in line with the king's well-documented love for Christmas. NBC's "Christmas at Graceland," now streaming on Peacock, features live performances by artists like Kacey Musgraves and Lana Del Rey from the estate. Marchese notes that the musical special was the first live show of its magnitude on the grounds, expressing hope for more in the future. Just like Presley's timeless decor and beloved Christmas traditions, his family and the dedicated Graceland staff lovingly preserved the holiday spirit he infused into the property. While numerous films, books, and shows recount the story of Presley's life, this more intimate aspect of his legacy is carefully stored in Graceland's archives, retold exactly as he chose year after year.