Real Tree or Fake....And Why? | Home

I LOVE this time of year for so many reasons but one always stands out for me-- family tradition. There is no other time of year when my kids (all either teen or entering the teen zone) come together to reminisce about 'what we do': where the village goes, what kind of holiday cookies we'll make, how big will the gingerbread house be.... and when/how we'll decorate THE TREE.

Ah, the tree. I'll say it out loud: In our house, it's fake and it's fabulous!!! (Before you slam me for my decision, keep reading). I will admit that I miss going to the tree farm, tagging a tree, the smell of fresh pine. Oh, I did that for plenty of years and there is definitely something about the process. For someone whose heart literally aches for holiday traditions,  pilfering the plastic  wasn't an easy decision, but it was one made for me. We have family members literally allergic to live trees, so THAT'S THAT.

What I DON'T MISS: falling pine needles as the tree gets dry toward the end of the season. We even had someone in our family who, just last year, bought their real tree- and decorated it... only to find out it was infested with bugs-- the kind that have to be fumigated. Yep, the tree came down, everyone left the house and they had to start over and even throw away their ornaments... just before Christmas.  It may seem like an isolated case, but the exterminator says it happens a lot where they live. In either case, I'm just sayin'...

What I LIKE about my fake fir? I can put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving and it stays looking great through the entire season- no water added. Aesthetically, the artificials have come a long way and LOOK real. We did pony up and pay for the pre-lit kind, too, so it's pretty darn convenient.

Statistically, REAL still wins out by a longshot. There are 25-30 million trees cut in the US alone every year, while artificial sales only make up a  fraction of that number worldwide.

What's your take on the great tree debate? Real or fake...and why? Let us know...and, however you celebrate, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!