Real or Artificial Christmas Tree?

[Kitty 34]

We do a fake tree. Used to do a real one years ago but a fake one is just easier for me and DH.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

These days its artificial or nothing.. condo rules.

From the time I moved out of my parents home, to the time We downsized from our family home into a smaller home as empty nesters - it was always a real tree, cut down 2 weeks before Christmas.

I can see the good in either choice, but am happy at this point to have the convenience of the artificial tree. I use a product called "scentsicles" bought at Michaels craft store that hang in the tree to provide a Christmas tree scent. They come in pine, balsam & fir scents and one for artificial wreaths that is and evergreen/berry scent.

 

[MillauFr]

We like going to a tree farm and cutting our own. Family tradition. Although they are getting pricey around here. $60 this year.

 

[Poohforyou]

Artificial pre-lit (white lights) with a scentsical for fragrance. Pre-lit trees are the greatest invention since sliced bread .

We did a real tree for a few years, what a nightmare.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

We've gotten reals trees occasionally over the years, but prefer fake ones.

Right now we have four fake trees: the main one is a 7 ft pre-lit green. Then there is a pencil slim green pre-lit, I suppose 6 ft. A 4 ft tabletop black tree. Then best of all, a genuine 1960s silver aluminum tree I bought off Ebay about 15 years ago. Unfortunately the color wheel stopped working several years back and I haven't replaced it. Yet.

Fake trees for our artificial lives.

 

[ronandannette]

First couple of years we were married we had a real tree, even went out with a permit and cut one out of a National Forest.
But after covering one too many fatal fires caused by Christmas trees, we switched to an artificial tree about 30 years ago. Replaced that tree 2 years ago with another which looks amazingly like a real tree.

As a kid I remember a few real trees, but my dad was a lumber salesman and he thought cutting down a tree for only a few weeks use was a waste of a tree. So from about age 5 on we had a Charlie Brown artificial tree. Funny thing is, when my mom passed away 3 years ago, that ugly tree was the first thing that sold at the estate sale. Lady who bought it said "it was a cool retro artificial tree".

Did it look anything like this? Did the branches have to be inserted into the trunk one at a time? This sort of tree was my DGrandma's pride and joy - nobody else anywhere around here had a "ever-living" tree and it made her feel so "posh". Good memories!

 

[Squirlz]

We always had real trees, but 4 years ago we got a nice pre--lit artificial for 1/2 price on Black Friday. We were spending 60-70 dollars on nice spruce trees so a 90 dollar artificial made sense.

 

[aprilchem]

Artificial. I just can't kill a tree to decorate my home for Christmas. And yes, I know it's hypocritical because I use paper and have wooden furniture in my house and I pull weeds in my garden, so don't flame me for it. I would just feel guilty about it.

 

[RedAngie]

Did it look anything like this? Did the branches have to be inserted into the trunk one at a time? This sort of tree was my DGrandma's pride and joy - nobody else anywhere around here had a "ever-living" tree and it made her feel so "posh". Good memories!

We had one similar to that, but the branches were more upswept, not sticking straight out. My father called it a toilet brush tree. After a few years some of the branches got all wobbly because the holes got enlarged. My father had to attach a few wires to the branches above to keep them in place.

 

[tvguy]

Did it look anything like this? Did the branches have to be inserted into the trunk one at a time? This sort of tree was my DGrandma's pride and joy - nobody else anywhere around here had a "ever-living" tree and it made her feel so "posh". Good memories!

Nothing that nice. More like this, but the needles were flat strips of plastic the thickness of paper.

 

[hopemax]

I prefer real trees. But we are the ones that travel, and I don't want to leave a dried out real tree in the house when we are gone. So we do artificial, and then I get a real wreath which we can put in the trash when we leave town. 3 years ago, my parents came to our house for Christmas and so we had our first real tree in 10 years and I was a happy camper.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

It is real and it is spectacular! lol

We always get very wide trees. They look more like a bush but hey when you get it all decorated its always beautiful!

We'll be bringing it in today or tomorrow.

we also have a small artificial tree that goes in our living room window.

 

[22Tink]

We used to only do real trees but one year we got one that was infested with spiders. I bought an artificial tree that year and I've never looked back!!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Artificial, so I can put anything on it. Real trees don't hold heavy ornaments. I'm also an overprotective mother & worried about fires with a real tree, after I had DS.

 

[TCRAIG]

After 6 or 7 years of use, I'm giving my fake tree a rest this year and bought a cut tree this morning. I've been thinking about it most of this week, and picked it up at a local firehouse that was selling them.

I'll probably decorate it tomorrow.

What's your favorite? Real? Artificial? Both? Neither?

I have one of each every year - fake in the dining room palladium window that faces the street and the real one in the great room that I get to enjoy!

 

[Micca]

I forget when DW & I converted from real trees to artificial, probably at least 25 years ago. The real ones are nice, but not at all convenient to buy, setup, maintain, and dispose of. I also hated it when I'd find dried out needles in the carpet around Easter...usually with my bare feet. We also have some large/heavy ornaments and the fake trees are good for those.

 

[Neesy228]

I grew up with an artificial tree and vowed that i would never have a "fake" tree when I grew up.

I got my first real tree in college and haven't gone back on my vow. I'm 42 now. I have even had a real tree the year that my first child was due in late December, the that year my mother-in-law passed away shortly after thanksgiving, the that year we moved the week of thanksgiving....

Nothing stops me from trekking out to the Christmas tree farm, finding "THE" tree and getting it home.

 

[Dentam]

I was always a die hard "real tree or none at all" person - until I got my pets. With two cats and a 90 lb dog, the artificial tree is much better. They aren't as drawn to its smells and I especially love that I don't have to keep a dish of water under it, which would be a magnet for the cats especially.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

We use an artificial tree because it's less expensive and I can put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving and it won't go dry in two weeks.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

We like going to a tree farm and cutting our own. Family tradition. Although they are getting pricey around here. $60 this year.