# What's the appeal of obviously fake Christmas trees? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455 "2008-10-25T00:42:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![schnuckiputzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@schnuckiputzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schnuckiputzi)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/41 "2008-10-28T14:23:46Z")
I’m another who would kill to be able to have a huge real Christmas tree, but I get pneumonia before the holiday’s over. Ours is fairly realistic, but my kids having been jonesing lately for an upside-down tree. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/42 "2008-10-28T14:46:33Z")
For me, the genuine spruce spray and automatic sap oozers give a Christmas tree experience that is more real than the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/43 "2008-10-28T15:16:00Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > I guess I should confess my own Christmas tree fetish: I think that a real tree, with a big, piney smell; tiny, blue, nonblinking lights; and very few ornaments, is the most beautiful. > > Most people think I’m nuts for not going with blinking, red/green or multi-color lights, and the more ornaments, the better. > > Those “icecicle” things that are strewn about the tree to a depth of an inch or so? Don’t get me started. [Puking smilie needed.] I’m with you, except I like the stype of icecicle ornaments that are 4" long intricately beaded tapered icecicle ornaments my grandmother made. My parents have about two dozen of them for their 9’ tree (cathedral ceiling in the living room) and the effect is stunning with white, blue, or lavender lights. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/44 "2008-10-28T15:21:27Z")
The cat can’t drink the water out of the bowl part of the tree stand if the tree is fake. Did anyone else’s cat do this? Our Winston didn’t bother any other part of the tree except for the water, even if his water bowl was full. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/45 "2008-10-28T16:26:28Z")
Do they still flock real trees? In pastel colors? I was fascinated by that when I was small. You could get white, blue, green, and pink. We never got one, though, and I’ve outgrown wanting one. When you think about it, it’s a way to have a real tree and make it fake at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/46 "2008-10-28T18:47:09Z")
I inherited my grandmother’s silver tree and rotating color wheel. My wife wants nothing to do with it; she’s a natural woman. My mother has a green plastic tree; after Christmas I carry it down to her basement with all the lights, ornaments and tinsel still on it, and she covers it with a sheet. Next Christmas I uncover it and carry it right back up again. ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/47 "2008-10-28T18:55:18Z")
I keep marrying wrong. About the only thing my current wife and my first wife have in common is their insistance on real #$%^ing xmas trees. I hate the needles, the expense, the hassle and my home smelling like a damn pine tree, but I love my wife and it’s something that makes her happy. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/48 "2008-10-28T21:26:06Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Do they still flock real trees? In pastel colors? I was fascinated by that when I was small. You could get white, blue, green, and pink. We never got one, though, and I’ve outgrown wanting one. > > When you think about it, it’s a way to have a real tree and make it fake at the same time. LOL, yeah they do that here in this area of California (the white flocking anyway.) As a kid when we got a real tree my mom would sometimes flock the tree tips by first dipping them in water, shaking off the excess, then dipping them in flour. It was pretty but a little messy. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/49 "2008-10-28T21:44:39Z")
> [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](#): > > That’s interesting - was it cone shaped or with branches coming off it? Feathers dyed green? I’m fascinated. The branches folded out into a standard fir-tree shape. And yes, the feathers were dyed green. There were painted red berries too at one point. It’s still in reasonable condition, but it’s too much effort for my parents, so they now have a fibre-optic one which has a very noisy fan in the base. ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/50 "2008-10-29T19:54:23Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > For me, the genuine spruce spray and automatic sap oozers give a Christmas tree experience that is more real than the real thing. Did you get your tree from Mr. Haney, **Scumpup**? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/51 "2008-10-29T23:14:00Z")
> [@Caractacus\_Pott](#): > > Did you get your tree from Mr. Haney, **Scumpup**? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/52 "2008-10-30T05:23:33Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > For me, the genuine spruce spray and automatic sap oozers give a Christmas tree experience that is more real than the real thing. Spruce spray? Tell me more. Provided you are not whooshing me. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/53 "2008-10-30T13:25:22Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > Spruce spray? Tell me more. Provided you are not whooshing me. Yes Virgina. There is a spruce spray. That said they were referencing a Green Acres epicode. [An Old Fashioned Christmas](http://www.tv.com/green-acres/an-old-fashioned-christmas/episode/12101/summary.html?tag=ep_guide;ep_title;13) [Rhode island kills it’s Christmas tree by spraying it with fire retardant chemicals.](http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Flame/RI-Christmas-Tree23dec05.htm) There is a picture of the 18 foot brown dead tree and it’s funny to see how thoroughly the government could botch this. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/54 "2008-10-30T13:59:06Z")
I like real trees, but I am highly allergic. So for us, it’s artificial or nothing. For the last few years, it’s been nothing. ☹ Maybe this year we’ll get a fake one. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455/55 "2008-11-01T08:39:54Z")
[A genuine Charlie Brown Christmas tree if it was fake.](http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&navAction=jump&id=13659453&search=true&color=00) You can purchase this tree, but how can it be a Charlie Brown tree if it’s not a living tree. This tree is an enigma. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-appeal-of-obviously-fake-christmas-trees/469455.md?page=2)