Christmas - Real or Fake Tree?

[crokett]

IF I ever did, the tree that I would LOVE to have and put up, is the old aluminum tree. Your missing that option

No I'm not. A tree is either real or its fake.

[LarryG]

A fake tree sure doesn't have the character or the smell of a real tree, and the whole experience of getting a real one and putting it up just sets the tone for the whole season....it's a big event for us and the kids. It gives them great memories of childhoold, and I couldn't stand depriving them of that tradition, even though it's a little cumbersome. The cold, needles, watering, and cursing at it, are all part if it!

No kids in our household (unless you count the cats), but otherwise this is why our Christmas tree always has been, and always will be, REAL!

And remember, guys: between trimming off the bottom of the trunk, making it fit into the stand, and getting the fool thing to stand up, SOMEWHERE in there is a solid excuse for a new tool!

[scorrpio]

By myself, I never really bothered with a tree - takes up space, messy, and all that, but my wife absolutely has to have one. And it gotta be real.

[jAngiel]

I love real trees but we go with artificial now. Mostly because where we put the tree has a 14 foot ceiling and we need at least a 12 foot tree to fit the area. I have not seen real trees that tall that weren't overly fat as to take up half the room, at least not here in Oklahoma. Tall slender real trees are very hard to come by down here.

Besides, it's hard to beat a 12 foot pre-lit tree. Stringing lights on a tall tree, having to move ladders around with kids, dogs and cats running around your feet usually has me cussing before I finally get all the lights on.

I have fond memories of real trees but for now I'll stick with artificial.

[Mrs. Wallnut]

Real

I know that Mark already posted but I like going out and driving in the hills to find the right tree. The kids enjoy it and this year will be Thomas's first year of doing this. I have missed a few in the past because I have had to work weekends but this year is different. Once we find the tree we bring it home and then decorate it and everyone helps. It is a tradition that I am glad Mark has kept.

As a kid we lived in town and we would walk about 6 blocks and buy a tree from the local lot that was set up and take it home using a sled and along the way there would be snowball fights and pushing each other into a snow bank or something like that but now that we have gone up and cut down our own I find that very rewarding...because we are able to find some good ones tha we like.

[Tom Miller]

No aluminum trees for us!

Regards,
Tom

[Crash2510]

real trees only besides it is hard to find a 15 foot fake tree

[gsmittle]

Fake with lights for us. All four of us have allergies, and the few times we've had a real tree we were all wheezing in two weeks. Besides, #1 son's birthday is Dec 18, so we generally wait until after that to put up the tree.

Plus, the real ones here are mondo expensive.

g.

[Warren]

I use one of those little pine scented, tree shaped air fresheners. Seriously, stopped doing the tree thing a couple of years ago. No place to store a fake one and real one's are too expensive. I suppose I could cut one on the property, but they're all healthy and I don't like taking the chainsaw to healthy trees.

[cwsmith]

When I was a kid we always had a real tree. Back then you bought them from one of the many small-time guys who would be sprinkled across the city. We moved out to the country when I was twelve and one of the neighbor boys and I started the tradition of taking to the woods and bringing home the two best trees we could fine. It was great fun finding the tree in the late summer or fall, marking it out and then taking the toboggans and trudging up and over the hill to find and bring it back in the dark. Thinking back, it sort of seemed silly to do it at night, but it added to the adventure I guess. Still like the snow and the woods and taking a long walk on winter nights.

But when our son was born, we found he was quite alergic to pine, and so we got an imitation wire and plastic thing. Over the years we've had a couple of those and I finally threw the last one out this past summer. This year we're pretty much alone so will go with a "Delarobia" (sp?) bush, which is basically a small table-top fake. We're spending Christmas Eve and Christmas day with relatives, so no big deal I guess.

Next year we'll be in the new home (actually an old 1887 place with 12 ft ceilings). I'll be back in the old stomping grounds and maybe will be able to repeat a bit of history. Real trees off the lot are now a pretty expensive business and far too many of these place have those "pencil sharpener" looks about them. While real, they're almost too "perfect". Something nice about a real tree that looks a bit natural I think.

CWS

[JTimmons]

Fake for me, don't have to water it and worry about it shedding all over the floor. Cuts down on the yellow stains next to the tree too, lab seems to get confused thinks he should mark his territory.

[draghkar]

For the first time in 15 years, we'll be going fake. We're in a new house, the wife and son have allergies, the dog tail story rings true. The process of getting the tree was usually more of a pain than memory making. It's just not the same as when I was a kid. Anyway, at this point, I'd rather just leave the tree growing, instead of chopping it down and throwing it away in a month.

A couple things: if you're going to go fake, buy the tree after Xmas. We got a $480 tree at Macys for under $100 when we bought it on 12/30.

And from my daughter, when she was 5 or so...after Xmas we saw a small car with a tree tied to the top of it. She asked why? and I explained that they were probably taking it to be recycled. She replied

"Why don't they just put it back in the box like Grandma does?"

[Stick]

Haven't had a tree at all since my last marriage ended. Back then, always cut one. Of course, living in the middle of bush country where the nearest gas station is 110 miles away, there are lots to choose from. Present wife shares my attitude that it's a waste of time and/or money. All our kids are grown, and we don't celebrate xmas. I work most years.....just another day I get triple time for. Means nothing to me other than that, never did.

[lrr]

Sadly, fake it is now. Allergies for my daughter and I just couldn't handle the real ones any more. I loved the smell, but it didn't love me.

We also got one that is prelit. I was a fanatic about getting the lights just so, and it would take me all day. Now it just comes out of the box, we plug it in, and hang ornaments.

But one tradition remains -- I refuse to put up the "icicle" lights that are on every other house in the neighborhood. Only good old C9 strings, the big ones (C7s are the smaller screw-in bulbs).

[lcm1947]

Real one for us. Had used a fake for years but when it got to looking pretty rough we decided to start buying them. I actually prefer live ones anyway. Love the smell and don't have to stow that big old box in my garage - I mean shop. Did I mention I hate putting the lights on them, real or fake.