Real or Artificial Trees... What do you do?

[D&DDisney]

What do you prefer and why?

 

[BethR]

I voted artificial. We only once in 27 years of marriage have we ever had a real tree. From having to go out in the cold to choose it (at a time when I am terribly pressed for time anyway), to dealing with a crooked trunk, to messing with the watering and the needles - well, we just never did it again.

I am very happy with our artificial tree. It is 17 years old and still looks good. People often are surprised to learn that it isn't real.

I do get a real pine wreath for the door every year though.

 

[mom2jamie]

Real always since I was a child. Still get it from the same Christmas tree farm for the last at least 30 years...I enjoy the smell of a real tree and enjpy going to pick it out. Though I do work in retail and some of the artificial trees are really being made to look just like the real ones.

 

[luvsgrumpy]

Voted real! Wouldn't seem like Christmas to me without having the pine smell. Yes, it is messy and sometimes a pain in the behind, but in 37 years, have never had an artificial one at home. It also helps start and end the Christmas season in Dec. and Jan. Something I cannot procrastinate about, dead, needle dropping trees are not fun!

 

[kellia]

Artificial here! We broke down and got a prelit one last year, OMG, is that great!! Dh and I rarely argue, but we fought every year about putting up those dumb lights.

Also, due to allergies, firehazard, and cost, we never considered a "real" tree.

 

[PBader]

We've only had a real tree 1 time in 23 Christmases. The last one we bought was prelit and flocked with snow---LOVE IT!!

 

[T. Lynn]

I use to love real trees and never had a problem with needles dropping.

I like having my tree up Thanksgiving weekend and with DH schedule, it was next to impossible. Two years ago I finally purchased and artificial tree from Walmart on sale. I just love it and DD and I can put it up whenever we please.

 

[ljhmom]

We have a pre-lit artificial tree, it is so much easier than having to fight with putting lights on.

 

[Nynaeve]

I grew up always having a real one, and loved it. It was fun to go pick it out, and I loved them smell. But, now that I have a family of my own, we have an artificial pre-lit one. We tried a real one our first Christmas together, and never did it again. It was expensive for where we lived, and I was finding pine needles for the next 5 months hidden deep in the carpeting.

The fake ones do not have the christmas smell, but we just buy a pine candle and put up our quick easy one.

 

[disneychrista]

I have always had a reusable tree. I have a pine allergy and was sick every year at Christmas until my parents figured it out.

Now every year I think about buying a new pre-light tree. But every year I end up using the same old tree. I am just not big into decorating so I can't justify the cost.

 

[KarenAylwood]

I answered the "what do you do?" question rather than the "which do you prefer?" in the poll

We have an artificial one in our apartment. I bought it two years ago when I had hardly any money so it is definitely not a good fake (and it's a little short) but it's pre-lit and taller than both of us. For $75 at Walmart, what can you expect?

Growing up we ALWAYS had a real tree. It was tradition to go to a tree farm, spend an hour picking it out, then cut it down, strap it to the car and drink hot cider When I went off to college we had to bump it up to the weekend after Thanksgiving since I was home then. Now, my parents still get a real tree at home but I can't come home for Thanksgivings so I don't participate

There aren't any nice tree farms in the south (that I've found anyway) so we'll probably invest in an expensive, real-looking fake a few years down the road.

 

[cruizie]

I voted real because that is what we always do. I would like to have an artifical pre-lit tree but dh won't go for it. Even though I am the one who does all the work. I might just go out and buy an artifical one after Christmas this year.

 

[peyton18]

Artificial, fiber-optic. Love it!!!

 

[ekmom]

We do both! Growing up we always had a real tree until that awful year when I was about 17 when my parents bought an artificial tree. I was horrified and immediately reclaimed all of the ornaments I had made over the years. I then went out and bought a small real tree and put it in my bedroom. That was the start of my ornament collecting hobby. By the time we moved into our current home 16 years ago I had too many ornaments for 1 tree and we now had a family room and a living room, so we bought an artificial tree. That one goes up in the living room Thanksgiving weekend and the real tree goes up in the family room a week or two before Christmas.

Our youngest went away to college this year and we're now empty nesters so I'm not sure how long we'll keep doing both!

 

[MommaSnowwhite]

We have had a fake for about 10 years now. Our first Christmas together we had a real one and it was such a mess! But, last year we were actually at our own home for Christmas so we took the girls out and got a real tree - now I know why we have a fake tree. The other day i was cleaning in the famiy room and found - you guessed it - a couple of stray pine needles.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

We go the environmentally friendly route and have a real tree -- usually a Balsam fir from Nova Scotia.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS a real tree!!!!! We do have some fake trees--we put the little pre-lit one in my oldest son's room and we put one fake one in our bedroom nook. We love decorating Christmas trees. We make it a family activity to go out and get a tree. We have fun with it!!!

 

[BubblPopElectrc]

Fake.

Real trees are to much effort- you have to chose one (chances are it'll have a big hunk messing out of that you didn't notice), mess with dragging it, dealing with the needles, watering it, etc. Plus, call me weird, but I feel bad cutting down a perfectly good tree just for a few weeks (a few weeks- if you're lucky).

 

[mickeyfan2]

Artificial for many reasons:

1) I have asthma and real tree can have mold on them that could cause me to have an asthma attack.
2) Not a fire hazard.
3) We love to decorate early and keep the tree up for a long time. A real one would die too soon.
4) I don't like to kill a tree just to decorate it. The bulbed ones are an option, but so heavy and so small.
5) No need to maintain them once up.
6) Can travel and not worry about the tree.
7) No mess at clean up time.
8) Can take down at our leisure.

 

[ecuagoddess]

Artificial, fiber-optic. Love it!!!

Also, I dislike any strong smells. My office gets a real tree and I hate life during the month of December.