Real Tree or Fake Tree? Which Do You Prefer?

[Wish Upon A Star]

We've always had real trees . . .ever since I was a kid . . .I always had fond memories of going out with my dad and selecting the "best" xmas tree ever!!

After I got married in 1987, my in-laws had their own Xmas Tree Farm where I picked out my tree every year and tagged it before the post Thanksgiving rush.

My in-laws moved in 1999 so we decided at that time we'd purchase a fake tree that looked real . . .It is totally beautiful and everyone comments on how real it looks . . .

The upside to having a fake tree . . . .no little brown spiders all over the place :eek: :eek: :eek:

No hubby freaking out because the stump won't fit right in the base.:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

No MESS!!:p :p :p

What do you have?

[debster812]

I prefer a live tree.

We have to have a fake one, due to DS's allergic reaction to a live tree 3 years ago. It was not pretty.

[tiggerlover]

I grew up with real trees and had real trees through my married life until I moved to Italy. It was a ritual going to get the tree and finding just the right one. However, that tradition stopped when we moved to Italy because the trees they have here are very "Charlie Brown", so much so that my collection of Christmas ornaments just wouldn't work on their trees. So we were forced to buy a real-looking artificial. Artificials are great because they don't leave a mess, I just miss the smell of the real ones. But I guess that is why there is Yankee Candle! :)

:bounce::wave::bounce:

[nkjzmom]

REAL!!!! It's not really Christmas without the sawing, shaking, watering, decorating, watering, vacuuming needles, watering, watering....

My aunt had an experience with spiders once. They had their tree for a week or so...had noticed a spider or two on the wall or floor near the tree....didn't put 2 and 2 together. I promise, Christmas morning, the tree and presents were COVERED with spiders and little tiny webs. Just like that story about the Christmas spiders!!

Gives me the creeps and I think I would never have a real tree again if that happened to me, but I just love the smell and feel of the real ones!

[2disneywego]

We have a beautiful fake tree, everyone thinks it's real.
I love the real trees, but every year when I was a kid, I would throw up for 3 days when we brought the tree in the house. My parents always said it was because I was too excited.:rolleyes:
Nope, just allergic. I'm fine with trees outside, just don't bring them in my living room.;)

[caitycaity]

i am a real tree fan, but we have wall to wall white carpeting in our apartment so we have a fake one. a real one would be WAY too messy!

[snoopy]

We have a beautiful fake tree, and we always buy a live one as well. If I had to pick just one, I would probably pick the fake because the live one doesn't last long.

[minniecarousel]

We "went fake" 2 years ago and never looked back! It's a beautiful pre-lit 7 foot tree! It's in 3 sections and rather easy to set up. And, yup, I use Yankee Candle to make up for the scent.

[MerryPoppins]

Fake is our only choice due to allergies and asthma. DH really misses having a real tree, but it's never been an option. We have a lovely fake tree that looks so real and we also burn Christmasy candles to get the smell. At least there isn't the mess or fire danger of a real tree.

[olena]

Real trees cause major respiratory problems with the family, so it has always been fake trees for us.

[Jenzebelle]

For me it's not Christmas without a real tree :D

[PhotobearSam]

Had real ones the entire time I was growing up...Then found out I'm allergic BIG TIME....so for us it is fake but still pretty. I'm surprised that you can even see it under all the x-mas decorations I bought at WDW last October;)

[Disney Doll]

Real

[Serena]

Real

[JulesMom]

live tree--I love the smell!!!

DS has many alleriges, but Christmas trees are not one of them;)

[helenabear]

Well your post just affirmed why I will probably never get a real tree... I hate spiders. We have had fake trees for many years. They are just easier to deal with due to our cats and no allergy attacks for anyone. I admit though, I do like my fake tree to look real though :)

[supercarrie]

real!

[The Mystery Machine]

Prefer real, but with allergies have to have fake.

[Micca]

In principle I like real trees, but to be practical we've been using our fake tree for about 13 years. It was pricey, but we bought the best one we could find and we carefully pack it away each year. It still looks good, and I wouldn't be surprised if it lasted another 3-4 years. I also like not finding stiffened needles with my feet around February.

[suzannen]

Finally broke down 3 years ago and bought a fabulous pre-lit fake tree. As with others, allergies are better, no more needles all over my floor, less worry about fire, and the tree is beautiful and perfect. And, yes, I also use Yankee Candles so the room smells like a real tree. We still help my SIL get her real tree every year, and so we continue to go through all of the traditional tree family fights like: can't get the stand on correctly; why is the tree leaning to the right; this tree has less branches on left side so I think we should turn it around...

[Krisu]

We always had a tradition of cutting down the christmas tree and it was always exciting to bring it home...until we put it up:eek: It was always an argument , then the lights:eek: When the dust settled after that and we enjoyed the holidays it was always a chore to clean up. Last year I had it! I got an artificial one and put it up in no time. less stress and you know what they say....."if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy":) ;)

[paras4ri]

I never thought I'd ever give up my real tree.....until both of my kids were born in December. We have a great artificial one that looks real and we also burn Yankee Candles to make up for the missing scent.

DS is not old enough to help put it up so it gets easier and easier each year and I truly don't miss trying to get it straight in the stand, etc. My mom does get a real one so we go with her to get it.

[Jeff in BigD]

We have a kick-butt fake tree with built in fiber optic lights.

My folks get real & it probably wouldn't feel like Christmas without it.

[kdibattista]

REAL trees definitely - I can't even imagine having a fake tree

[ShuisFan584]

We have a fake tree because of my allergies.

[CaliforniaDreaming]

We have a fake tree, and it does look real. However, it has a gazillion different branches and makes a mess when putting together/taking apart! :rolleyes:

[LvsTnk]

We had a real tree until we started going to WDW for the holiday then had to go with a fake. Oh Darn lol!

[Michelle]

REAL tree, ALWAYS.

Even the year that we got back from a trip late on 12/23 and went driving around in the fog on 12/24 trying to find a tree...we ALMOST gave up and got an artificial tree...but then we magically FOUND a lot with REAL trees left and half off to boot. :)

We will never get a fake tree.

[EROS]

ARTIFICIAL..........it looks great, and we no longer have our annual pineneedle cleanup headache :D

[captin fink]

Real

When I was a kid my GP had one of those aluminum foil trees with the colored light wheel. Scared me for life :p

[Jeepers Lady]

real for sure -- even when you accidentally find an old needle in July -- (I don't always get awards for vaccuming):)

[catsrule]

Fake Charlie Brown tree.

[disykat]

I miss the real, but have allergies - so have fake. I am glad there are so many others here with allergies - people always act like I'm making it up! I wish I'd done it years earlier.

The other advantage of fake is we can leave the day after Christmas on our trip to visit both sets of parents without taking it down first. It was always a pain, but I was too afraid of fire to leave it up unattended.

[dizneenut]

Artificial. We bought a new fake one last year that is pre-lit and even rotates. I love it! :)

[Jenn]

Fake all the way! We did real a couple of years ago. Never again because....

We have a huge family room with cathedral ceilings so we bought a 10 foot real tree one Christmas. The day we tried to take it down we discovered it was so heavy it shifted and had bent the screws in the stand and the screws were imbedded into the trunk, so we couldn't unscrew it from the stand. Of course, the stand was filled with water so we had no choice but to tip it over on its side, spilling the water all over the place (we put down towels). Then, the stinking tree was so heavy (all that water it soaked up) that we couldn't lift it. So, my husband had to saw the tree into 3 pieces in my family room to get it out. I had water, needles, sawdust and sap all over my house.

NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[antnee]

I prefer a live tree. I love it when I come home and the smell of fresh pine is in the air, but clean-up can be a pain in the butt ;)
It definitely beats an artificial tree, with pine tree air fresheners in it :p