Christmas tree: is yours real or fake?

[DCnDC]

What do you have (or what would you have if you were to have one), real or artificial?

[Oakminster]

I don't have one. In fact, I've never had one. I always go to visit my parents at Christmas. They have a fake tree, have for years. Apparently it is much easier to deal with a fake one, and the thing looks great.

[Chefguy]

Since I had to deal with a fake plastic tree with my ex for 20+ years, which became dusty and dirty and impossible to clean, I now only have real trees, grown for the purpose. Man, I came to hate that tree.

[DCnDC]

My family's artificial tree is older than I or any of my siblings am. Probably loses as many or more needles than a real tree would. It's practically bare now but my parents still set it up every year and just load it down with ornaments and lights to make it look fuller.

[Alpha Twit]

Growing up we had a pretty nice, fake tree. I think my dad still had it but it's been at least ten years since it has been but up. Since I moved out on my own, I've never had a tree.

[Rhiannon8404]

Real for us. We drive up into the hills to a tree farm and chop it down. It's fun.

[Voyager]

Real, real, real. Smells much better.

Now, our Christmas tree stand is almost 60 years old, but the tree is fresh. And I wish we lived within a reasonable distance of a cut-your-own place.

[Wheelz]

We use an artificial tree that belonged to my wife before we'd even met (which was in 1993). It's lost a lot of needles, some of the branches are loose, and it doesn't stand up quite straight.
But every time we set it up and get it all decorated, it ends up looking great. So we keep putting it up.

I'm not one of those people who is always convinced that the worst is going to happen, but nevertheless, I'm not comfortable with the fire hazard created by the combination of a dead, dried-out pine tree and electrical wiring.

[Caffeine.addict]

We have a real one and a tiny fake one. The main advantage of the real one for us is that I don't have to store the fake one.

[CookingWithGas]

Gotta have that smell. And I like needles on the floor, makes the vacuum cleaner smell good. Only thing I don't like is having to water it, but on balance I enjoy it and it's a nice family tradition for us.

[MsWhatsit]

The real deal. We go to a tree farm and cut one down every year. I like doing this for a few reasons: We have fun doing it, it supports a local business, and when you cut down your own tree, it lasts a lot longer than one you buy from a tree lot.

Once the kids are grown, I suspect we may move to getting an artificial tree, but that won't be for quite some time.

[Rushgeekgirl]

Fake but I usually end up buying a garland or wreath fresh for the nice scent.

Forgot this year though.

[Scumpup]

I have one of those top-of-the-line artificial trees with oozers and squirters. It even comes with a bag of plastic needles to scatter on the rug. They clog up the vacuum cleaner just as good as the real thing.

[TruCelt]

I have one of those top-of-the-line artificial trees with oozers and squirters. It even comes with a bag of plastic needles to scatter on the rug. They clog up the vacuum cleaner just as good as the real thing.

It a whoosh, right? Right? Please tell me you're whooshing. . . :eek:

[Scumpup]

It a whoosh, right? Right? Please tell me you're whooshing. . . :eek:

I guess I'm the only one with fond memories of Christmas in Hooterville. (http://www.maggiore.net/greenacres/ga45.asp)

[ZipperJJ]

My parents started putting up a fake tree pretty early on. Maybe when I was 8? The first one they had was not pre-lit and we went through the hassle of putting lights on every year. Eventually mom wisened up and got a pre-lit one and it's been happiness ever since.

No wait, it's been happiness ever since I moved out and suggested she put the Christmas stuff in my old bedroom closet instead of in the attic. It's a long way from buying a fresh tree, lighting it and decorating it with a bunch of crap from the attic, to standing up a pre-lit tree and throwing on a few decorations from the closet. Score!

Personally I have a little 2' pre-lit fake tree that I put in my window. It serves as my "outdoor lights" as well. I put like 8 ornaments on it and I'm good to go.

[Rex Goliath]

My girlfriend and I are poor. We drew a picture of a christmas tree and taped it to the wall.

[Philster]

Well, I don't want my local tree farmers to wind up selling their land to a development company so that Mcmansions can be built and adorned with PVC fencing, so it's a real tree for me.

I also use lots of paper to support sustainable forests reserved for such use. Finally, I suck up as much fossil fuel here in the USA so that the more irresponsible countries can't get their hands on it and burn it irresponsibly.


That's how I roll. :)

[Anaamika]

Fake. And you guys that have those old worn out trees? It's ok to replace them, you know. I mean, 20 years! Wow. I kept a fake tree for I think 8 or 10, and then threw it right the fuck out and bought a new one. And I thought I was keeping it a long time.

Mine is pre-lighted, too, which sure saves me a lot of trouble. I hate pine needles all up in everything.

[garygnu]

I've got a real Noble Fir this year, but a pre-lit fake tree is sitting in my spare bedroom. I think we may alternate years from now on.

[KneadToKnow]

Fake (http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Tree-Box-Sam-Ita/dp/140274529X), but made from real trees.

[PSXer]

have to have a real tree. it is a hassle but it is traditional

[Wheelz]

Fake. And you guys that have those old worn out trees? It's ok to replace them, you know.Heh... yeah, I know.
We've been trying to down-size our possessions with an eye toward a future cross-country move. (One of these years!) A new tree would either be one more bulky thing we'd have to take with us, or a waste of money if we only use it a couple times and leave it behind.

[NinetyWt]

"Only a real tree will do" or "Artifical all the way"? Why so black-and-white?

We have a fake one which we put up some years. Other years, we decide we want a real one and go get one. I don't have much preference, other than the fake one saves me a trip to the store (and $$).

[Palo Verde]

Real tree. That smell! I can't imagine Christmas without a real tree.

[Crafter_Man]

Real tree.

The primary reason is not because the tree itself is real. (I couldn't care less.) It's because we have three children, and we all look forward to the yearly ritual of going to the Christmas Tree Farm and cutting down a tree.

[FallenAngel]

Given my druthers we'd have an artificial tree. When it comes to real xmas trees I loathe the smell; the frustration of getting the damn thing and prepping it sours what should be a fun day of decorating, and the mess just isn't worth it.

That said, my wife only spends every other xmas at home with me. The off year she spends with her family back in Montreal, and she's a sucker for real trees; so I get outvoted every year she's home.

The enjoyment she derives from having a real one almost makes the bother worth it.

[InterestedObserver]

We have a live tree (so "real", but not "real" as in a cut, dead one).

We used to buy a 4-5 ft. tall Doug Fir or other evergreen, decorate it and plant it outside in the spring. Currently, we don't have anywhere to plant, so we've been using a 4-5 ft. Norfolk pine which lives on the balcony most of the year and comes in to get decked out and stays up until spring solstice or soon after.

We "kinda-sorta" do Christmas...a few gifts and decorating the tree and a nice dinner and we often make candles, but mostly pagan. I enjoy having the lit up tree through the long winter. :)

[Wile E]

Mine is currently non-existent but I do have an artificial packed away some where. I just haven't felt like doing the whole decorating thing for the past few years until I find a good way to cat proof everything. I do usually bring out a little table sized fiber-optic tree for Christmas Eve but that's about it.

For as long as I can remember we always had artificial trees.

[Digital is the new Analog]

<100% serious answer>
I voted for artificial, because you didn't have the answer that fits me best.
I don't "do" Christmas..but I do have two artificial trees. They live in boxes in my garage.
I occasionally loan them out to treeless friends who want to throw Christmas parties.
</100% serious answer>

-D/a

[Eliahna]

Artificial, all my life. Last year my partner wanted a real tree so we had both, but he didn't insist this year so I just went with the fake. The real one came with creepy crawlies in it, was a hassle to get to balanced and standing right in the stand, dropped needles all over the place, needed ongoing care in the form of watering and, when it finally came down, was a problem to dispose of.

[Markxxx]

I never had a real Christmas tree in my whole life (46 years). I would love to have one. I live by myself so I don't see the point of getting any tree.

I worked at one hotel and we had a real tree but that was it. All the other hotels and places I worked at have fake Christmas trees

[Chefguy]

Fake. And you guys that have those old worn out trees? It's ok to replace them, you know. I mean, 20 years! Wow. I kept a fake tree for I think 8 or 10, and then threw it right the fuck out and bought a new one. And I thought I was keeping it a long time.

Mine is pre-lighted, too, which sure saves me a lot of trouble. I hate pine needles all up in everything.

Not when you're married to a hoarder. When I finally left, she still had a blender that burned out the first year we were married, along with tons of other shit that served no purpose. It drove me nuts.

[Rachellelogram]

I do this: http://www.xkcd.com/835/

But really, I don't do Christmas and I especially do not do decorating.

[TheChileanBlob]

I'm allergic to pine, so I haven't had a real tree since I was a small child. At the moment we don't have a tree up since the kitties will wrestle it to the floor any time we take our eyes off them. Instead, I have lights on my ficus and rosemary boughs around the house for fragrance and greenery.

[MissGypsy]

Artificial, always. I hate the smell of pine, and don't want the hassle of watering and cleaning up the debris. It's a big poofy pre-lit tree, so I don't even have to string the lights around it.

Yes, I'm a trifle lazy. But my tree is pretty.

[Count Blucher]

Real for us. We drive up into the hills to a tree farm and chop it down. It's fun.

+1

The orchard a mile away with 8-10lb apple pies is a lucky coincidence. As is the vineyard a mile further.

Season Greetings!

[BMalion]

I use the original family aluminum tree with the 1959 color wheel my dad bought before I was born. Rescued from my mom's attic 10 years ago.

It just wouldn't be Christmas without it.

[Colophon]

Real tree. That smell! I can't imagine Christmas without a real tree.
Exactly what I was going to write. That smell is Christmas, to me. That and getting pine needles stuck in your socks for weeks, of course. ;)

[Jophiel]

We used to go with a live tree for years at home and a cheap $15.00 Costco artificial tree for years where we'd be away for the holiday and couldn't justify dropping $40-60 on a live tree just to have it sit lonely on Christmas morning.

This year though the $15 tree broke and I just bought a much nicer and much more expensive artificial tree last night for 50% off (woohoo!) which I suspect will become the annual tree now.

[gurujulp]

I didn't answer the poll, as the answer is, I own a fake tree and use it often, but I have a real tree this year...

[salinqmind]

Used to get a real tree, for years and years, even when it was so cold I'd just drive to the lot, roll down the window, and tell the guys "that one! bung it up and put it in the back!" I enjoyed the buying, the setting up, the decorating, the heavenly smell. I even enjoyed the ritual hauling out to the curb the first weekend after New Years, vacuuming up the needles, and putting the house back in order...As years went by, though, *I* was the only one interested in getting a real tree, and the family really didn't seem to care one way or another.
(for various reasons, we don't really enjoy Christmas any more and we buy gifts and overeat mostly out of habit; we all look forward more to getting it over than the actual celebration of Christmas)...So, I looked around at $200 and up pre-lit artificial trees, Martha Stewart specials, walked through a Holiday Shoppe the size of a football field, full of the klassiest fake trees (got a vertigo attack in that place!)...ended up with a nice little tabletop cheapie from Target, complete with lights. It worked out very well! We put on our old family decorations, spray some balsam fir scent around, and we're good to go. The tree looks great lit up at night (not so much during the day, of course)....There just comes a time in life when you might think, ok, the kids are grown, things are stressful, people are ailing, but it's still Christmas...and you might think of downgrading to a fake tree.

[Rhiannon8404]

+1

The orchard a mile away with 8-10lb apple pies is a lucky coincidence. As is the vineyard a mile further.

Season Greetings!

Amen to that!

[Ann Onimous]

Artificial only. I can't get past killing a tree to decorate for Christmas, and I have nowhere to plant a real one after it's used. My work tree is a white fiber optic, and I've had it for about 5 years. We got a new home tree last year. It was an accident, really: I got a new one for the office, but then realized it was too big for the office. It's blue.

I use the original family aluminum tree with the 1959 color wheel my dad bought before I was born. Rescued from my mom's attic 10 years ago.

It just wouldn't be Christmas without it.

I remember those! We had one. I have pictures. :D

[antonio107]

Question for the fake tree people on here:

I seem to recall years back having heard of a spray you can put on fake trees to simulate the pine smell of a real tree. I like the smell, but loathe the vacuuming. Can anyone on here confirm or deny its existence? The man at the Canadian Tire laughed at me. :(

[Skammer]

I'm not sure how to vote. We bought an artificial tree about 8 years ago and have used it every years since -- it's a nice tree. But it's a huge hassle to assemble every year so this year I said 'to hell with it' and bought a real one. So this year we have a real tree, but next year we'll likely go back to the artificial. I'm not a diehard either way.

[congodwarf]

We just got a very nice fake one. I have always wanted real trees but rarely got them. Last year, we got one. It was 8' tall and was beautiful. It also was terribly lopsided and fell over 3 times, damaging many of our decorations. In addition, shortly after the tree came into our house, we noticed an upswing in the number of creepy crawlies in our house.

This year I told my boyfriend I wouldn't push for a real tree but only if he agreed to get a 10' fake tree. He did and it's very beautiful and is the perfect size for my living room. It cost us over $200 but will last us a very long time so we'll save money in the long run since a similar size real tree would go for over $50 in this area.

[Silophant]

Question for the fake tree people on here:

I seem to recall years back having heard of a spray you can put on fake trees to simulate the pine smell of a real tree. I like the smell, but loathe the vacuuming. Can anyone on here confirm or deny its existence? The man at the Canadian Tire laughed at me. :(


This? (http://www.christmasdepot.com/Christmas+Decorations/Christmas+Tree+Stands+And+Accessories/Natural+Christmas+Tree+Scent+Spray+2+Ounce)

[antonio107]

This? (http://www.christmasdepot.com/Christmas+Decorations/Christmas+Tree+Stands+And+Accessories/Natural+Christmas+Tree+Scent+Spray+2+Ounce)

I KNEW it existed!! Thanks!!!!

[Kyrie Eleison]

Real blue spruce, cut down at the local tree farm every year. Going to get the tree is a holiday tradition for us.

[norinew]

While I do think the poll was a little too cut (hah!) and dried, I voted for "Only real will do". In reality, we prefer a live tree. But under certain circumstances, will settle for fake.

While I'm not criticizing the choices of others, what I do not like and would never have in a fake tree is one that screams "I am obviously a fake tree"! When I was growing up, we had either a real tree or a realistic looking fake in the living room, but in the family room, my mother would put up this hideous silver tree. It was like the 'needles' of the tree were made from trimmed tinsel. She insisted on decorating this particular abomination strictly in blue. :smack:

The last time we had a fake tree was the year we traveled to Colonial Williamsburg for Christmas. Hubby and I weren't going to put up a tree at all, because we weren't going to be home, but the kids got all upset that there wouldn't be a tree, so we bought this little 2' thing that was pre-lit, pre-decorated, and went on the table in our living room.

[aceplace57]

The vintage aluminum tree I got from my relatives is a collectors item now. They are getting hard to find. I have the color wheel too.

[Maiira]

Real tree. We go to a place up north and cut it down.

My mother is perpetually on this quest to get the realest tree she can find. This sometimes means that we have a wonky-looking, Charlie Brown's Christmas kind of tree, but dammit, it's REAL. She also hates it when tree farms spray paint their trees, so we always have to inspect trees we like the look of to make sure it hasn't been painted.

[irishgirl]

Real. Always.
This year it is a nice 6' Nordman fir.
My parents don't do fake, and neither do irishfella's, so we go with what we know.

We have a Dyson and a really fancy tree stand with a massive reservoir, so needle drop isn't a major issue anyway, especially with the Nordman. Carrying it up the 37 steps to our front door is less fun.

Irishbaby has been very good with it- she walks up- points to it and says "tree", then pokes a bauble and says "ball", then runs away pretending to be scared. Repeat ad nauseum.

[BMalion]

And remember, it's real aluminum, not fake.

[ripopgome]

The real deal. We go to a tree farm and cut one down every year. I like doing this for a few reasons: We have fun doing it, it supports a local business, and when you cut down your own tree, it lasts a lot longer than one you buy from a tree lot.

Once the kids are grown, I suspect we may move to getting an artificial tree, but that won't be for quite some time.

This. But always remember -- fat end of tree goes toward the front of the car. This year I forgot, and had to spend 15 minutes undoing & re-tying just outside the tree lot :smack:\

I've heard claims real trees are more environmentally friendly on the whole, but I really don't know that I believe that -- seems like it'd be highly dependent on how many years you use the fake tree for. But they smell good and are compostable, and the kids like going to cut it down, so that's what we do.

[DMark]

We had real trees when I was a kid, and also when I lived in Germany.

Now, we have a 6 1/2 foot Martha Stewart tree (on sale) that we have used for the past 9 years.

Advantages to real tree:
Fun to select, every one is different.
Smells great.

Advantages to fake tree:
Can put it up day after Thanksgiving and not worry about it drying out or catching on fire or whatever.
Saves lots of money over the long run.
Almost no needles falling all over the place.
Looks great once we have tons of extra lights, about 200 or more ornaments and add other decorations on top of that.


We do have scented, pine candles in the living room, so when you walk in you do smell pine - even when the candles are not lit.
We also go to the local real tree place, pick up some of the scraps and use them for table decorations (Adventskranz (http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Adventskranz-1.Advent.jpg&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adventskranz-1.Advent.jpg&usg=__h0biUy_S34BDteYFFB_3fiS-X6k=&h=2550&w=2550&sz=2248&hl=en&start=0&sig2=GUOAmFAk1KNLwYEw7RBQeg&zoom=1&tbnid=incM8YFax3jBpM:&tbnh=147&tbnw=171&ei=3ZITTdXuHo20sAPX_-iSCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dadventskranz%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DX%26rlz%3D1R1GGLA_en___US357%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D609%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=563&vpy=81&dur=4809&hovh=224&hovw=224&tx=83&ty=135&oei=3ZITTdXuHo20sAPX_-iSCg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0)) - so we do have "real" tree in the house, but just on decorations and enough to give the smell of real pine, along with the candles.

[barndoor]

Two options:

* A real real tree made by real Mother Nature
* A real plastic and metal tree made by real hard-working workers (not these north pole elves ...)

There shall be two additional options:

* A virtual tree displayed on a computer screen.
* or an imaginary tree planted in your mind.

Bye, gotta open the virtual gifts given to me by my imaginary friends!

[handsomeharry]

I use the original family aluminum tree with the 1959 color wheel my dad bought before I was born. Rescued from my mom's attic 10 years ago.

It just wouldn't be Christmas without it.

Those things, to me, symbolize Christmas, since I was born in 1956. They are better than 10000 live Christmas trees, and a million popcorn garlands. They were in my kindergarten classroom, dining room, and every five and dime, and department store until the 70s. THAT is what the song Silver Bells means! Christmas-time in the city, not the boonies.

Best wishes,
hh

[carnut]

I voted artificial. I love real trees but I am allergic to a mold that often grows on the tree trunks. Therefore, if I want a tree, it's either got to be artificial or I'm going to suffer for several weeks.

[CanvasShoes]

You didn't have an option for mine, so I had to choose artificial, but this year I have a real tree. My daughter and granddaughter live with me now, and one of my daughter's new friends has a tree lot, so we got a free tree.

Personally, I prefer artificial (HATE vacuuming all of those needles), but my tree was teeny and was one of the things I gave away when I moved to the lower 48 so.... there ya go.

[BMalion]

...or I'm going to suffer for several weeks.

But that's what Christmas is all about!

[carnut]

But that's what Christmas is all about!

Good point. :D

It's just the itchy rash part that I hate, not detangling the lights or even the fallen needles. ;)

[limegreen]

I adore real trees, and the first few years we tramped out into the snow and brought home the biggest one we could find. And I spent nearly every Christmas in the hospital with pneumonia. Finally my husband put his foot down and banned trees. My heart loves a real tree but my lungs apparently despise them.