Christmas - Real or Fake Tree?

[LinuxRandal]

This reminds me of a story that was on the radio a few years back. A local guy, thought he could use his Christmas tree for firewood, as it was dead and dried up. He didn't chop it up either, he decided he could "walk" it into the fireplace, and as a chunk burned up and fell off, he would walk up some more.
Needless to say, his house was warmed right up and he spent time in the burn unit.

[jAngiel]

I mentioned earlier that we use an artificial tree. What I always thought was a really good idea is what my MIL does, she buys a live tree every year. Not a real cut one, a live one in a pot. Only keeps it in the house for a few days and then plants it on her property somewhere. She has a ton of different types of previous christmas trees, some are HUGE now.

I may have to start doing that in addition to the artificial tree we use. Our lot could use some evergreens to decorate every Christmas season...

[430752]

Why is this a question?

Why is this even a poll? I mean its gotta be real! Are you gonna sit in a piece of furniture out of fake wood? Are you gonna use fake gas in yer car? Are you gonna be happy with fake leather. In the bedroom, and your wife has fake ...., well, maybe fake trees are okay after all!

Okay, seriously, real only fer me. I grew up in Chicago, moved to jersey, lived across the river from Newark for 5 or 6 years, and I/we always managed to get a real tree even in all that urbania. Maybe I had to carry it home 10 blocks or so, and maybe it shed all its needles the first week, but so what? Its a tribute to pagan/druidic rituals and I wouldn't have it any other way. Plus, with fake trees being made in China now, it just really doesn't seem right on so many levels.

Curt J.

[LinuxRandal]

Why is this even a poll? I mean its gotta be real! Are you gonna sit in a piece of furniture out of fake wood? Are you gonna use fake gas in yer car? Are you gonna be happy with fake leather. In the bedroom, and your wife has fake ...., well, maybe fake trees are okay after all!

Okay, seriously, real only fer me.

Fake tree, so the tree can grow, and you can MAKE the furniture. Furniture made from Christmas trees, fits in dollhouses.

[crokett]

OK. You fake tree fans can argue needles and $$$ and whatever else but here's something you can't argue:

Our tree has been up since before Thanksgiving and my daughter still talks to it in the morning when I get her up. We went and cut it ourselves - a little earlier than normal so the in-laws could come. She couldn't wait to get it home and decorate it. I can tell you if all I'd done was go to the basement and pull it out of the box prelit with the decorations on it, she'd be a lot less enthusiastic about it. We cut our own every year when I was a kid. I love Christmas (in part because of memories) and want her and her sister to grow up with good memories like I have.

[Veramacor]

Has anyone milled their xmas tree in January and built something with it?

I remember every year the church I went to growing up would take their xmas tree, strip the branches and make a cross from the log and have it up by Easter.

[Mrs. Wallnut]

This is the reason that we go and get our tree. Its the memories and the kids love going out and getting our tree. This year I wasn't able to walk with them to find the tree because I didn't have a sled or something to carry Thomas in but we all drove up and then I got him out of the car. Granted the tree if sparse but you know what we like the time spent together. Next year we will get a sled and Thomas should be able to have a lot of fun getting it. He sat and stared at the tree while we put the decorations on it and when the lights are on he loves it.

[Handy Al]

I've been pushing for a fake for a couple of years, but don't have the vote.

We got a fraser fir last night. Nothing like 20 degrees and a good breeze to make selection quick and easy.

[HarmsWay]

Fake.

Growing up we had a bit of both. Thinking back it was probably a fake one when we went to the relatives for Christmas.

I tried real for awhile here. The precut trees we get here look as though they were cut two years prior. Why is that the tree lots in southern Saskatchewan have better trees than Vancouver Island.

Anyway, I used to live in a semi-rural area in tree country (Vancouver Island) so I cut my own one year. It was soft and supple and smelled great for a month. In fact was was still soft two months after I threw it out. Unfortunately it was a bit of a Charlie Brown tree which was okay for me but not the LOML. She has about two hundred ceramic ornaments that need a pretty strong branch to support them. This one was too flexible. I also felt guilty since I cut it down off my property (albeit off an undeveloped lot in the ditch beside the road). One thing that bugged me about my neighbors is that they would do the same thing except instead of taking a little tree they'd cut down a 50 footer just to take the top 6 or 7 feet. So then I tried the live tree but it was small and not very Christmas-like and died a few months later anyway.

The next step was a Christmas tree farm. They were all too manicured for me and we felt bad for cutting it down. We thought, why are we doing this just so we can have a real tree for two weeks? Plus this one didn't have a normal tree smell.

The next year we bought an expensive fake when they went on sale at half price and have enjoyed it since. The only thing I miss is the smell and they'll have that figured out soon enough. For now, I just trim a few branches and bring the clippings inside.

Bob

[cesherrod]

Real xmas tree

Lots of my friends have fake trees now for convenience or allergy reasons, and while I disagree with them, they certainly have the right to do so.

But for my money, there are too many good reasons to get a real tree. We drive up into the North Carolina mountains each year to a "choose & cut" tree farm. My reasons are so numerous that I'll just list them. You make your own decision.

Wonderful outing with my family to go to the mountains & get the tree.

With choose & cut, the tree is cut the same day I buy it, so it stays fresh & green through the holidays without getting dried out.

Cheap! I paid $35.00 this year for an 8 foot tree that was full & huge, with a 6 foot diameter at the bottom. It's the only tree I've ever had that I could not see through. We had to buy some large ornaments to help with the scale or it.

The wonderful smell of a fresh Frasier Fir in your house. mmmmmm.

It's environmentally sound. (see the next several items)

Christmas tree farms stabilize soils,

protect water supplies and watersheds,

provide refuge for wildlife while creating scenic green belts,

are often grown on soils that could not support other crops,

benefit the atmosphere, absorbing carbon dioxide (the biggest greenhouse gas),

emit fresh oxygen. One acre of Christmas trees produces the daily oxygen requirement for 18 people. With approximately one million acres producing Christmas trees in the United States, that translates into oxygen for 18 million people every day. For every real Christmas tree harvested, three seedlings are planted in its place.

Real Christmas trees are an all-American, recyclable resource. Artificial trees, most of which are manufactured in Korea, Taiwan or Hong Kong, consist of plastics and metals that aren't biodegradable. When disposed of, the artificial trees will never deteriorate, and produce toxic fumes if burned. Their effects on our environment are evident and will remain for countless generations.

Real trees are ground into mulch to replensish soil & habitats.

100,000 people are employed by the Christmas tree industry.

It's a nice tradition.

You meet some very nice people. The guy I buy from started out with a few trees many years ago. Now he has over 4,000 trees on his farm. He uses no pesticides and his whole family helps manage the trees.

[tsimbler]

Hmm - is there a 4th choice?

Hey, I only voted "bah humbug" because it was the only choice besides real and fake! You all go ahead and enjoy your holiday season - maybe next fall we can do the "Sukkah: prefab, homemade, or what's a sukkah?"

Personally, I'm ready to switch to prefab on that one.

Then there's latkes: hand grate, food processor, store bought?

PS - when visiting friends with trees, I do prefer real.

[HarmsWay]

"Sukkah: prefab, homemade, or what's a sukkah?"

I had google that one. I can't believe I haven't heard more of that. Welcome to BT3Central (I see post #1).

Bob