Would you rather Christmas edition...

 
I love artificial Christmas trees.  There's something really soothing for me about the perfection of an artificial tree.  They are balanced.  Not too fat, not to skinny at the bottom.  No gaping holes with bare branches.  Their lights are perfectly spaced spaced out.  All of this comes together to make a tree that is very pleasing to my eye.  They also don't shed and you don't have to water them, bonus.

I know there are many of you out there that think it is an insult to Christmas to put up an artificial tree.  A downright crime.  Can it be Christmas without a real tree?  

Pictured left is my tree this year.  9 feet of black, red and silver perfection.  Most ornaments bought at (90% off but that's a totally different post).

Its your turn, I want to hear it... are you an artificial tree family or a real tree family?

Comments

[Dirk Baeuerle]

I prefer a live tree. I grew up that way being from Germany. Here locally a very good friend of mine has a Christmas Tree Farm and I support his dad, who owns the farm. It is his only income.

[Brooke]

We used to do real trees all the way! I loved everything about picking out the perfect tree. But they are expensive! And the price keeps rising! So, we switched to artificial. So far, it great. We can always get a real one again if we decide to...but don't HAVE to! I like the idea of getting after-christmas christmas ornaments!!

[BIBLE reader]

REAL tree or artificial? either way.

it is the people who make the good memories, that count the most.

[Betty Misch]

Holly,
I can appreciate the merits of both. I like the smell of the real tree but the mess is a pain from the needles can be a pain to clean up. Real trees require you to remember to water them too. The artificial tree is kind to those who night be alergic to trees(my daughter)and if you have space you can actually leave it decorated and store.

[Alice]

"Can it be Christmas without a real tree?" I guess it's all relative, ha! I grew up with the same artificial tree until I left home for college. Some of my fondest Christmas memories are watching my dad get the big box from the rafters, sorting through all the pieces, and "assembling" the tree with my parents and siblings. If you had asked me back when I was a kid, I would've been quite disappointed if I found out my parents were bringing home a "pre-made" tree one year! If I have a family one day I most definitely intend to carry on this tradition :)

[John Bramhall]

Artificial tree's are the best!! No mess, no fire hazard, just great!! We have two, one is the "contempory" one is the traditional". We made the switch a bout five yrs ago. I took our "real" tree outside, took a lighter to it, whhhooof....It burned up in about 6 seconds! That was it for us. Merry Christmas to you Holly and Pastor Steven!! We love you!!

[Cathy]

Artificial. It's easy and you can put it up so much sooner than a real tree and enjoy it. My two children are older,24 and 15 so I have had many years to collect all their handmade ornaments, which make the tree that much more special.
Have a wonderful Christmas

[John]

Hi Holly,

My wonderful wife and I have and use a fake tree. We found it is easy to setup, easy to put away, no mess, no fuss. . . and it is symetrical so my OCD stays in check!

Ours is a 7.5 foot tree that is fairly thin, we affectionately named it the pencil :)

Merry Christmas!

[Sophia Vasquez]

After 11 years of marriage, this is our first time getting a real tree and I don't like it! It's too much hassle and it doesn't give off the smell I thought it would. I will write this year off to experience, and stick to my artificial tree!

[Rindy Walton]

Artificial here...and ours is over 20yrs old...can't part with it because it tells a story. Each yr my guys helped put it together, each yr they could reach higher and higher, until finally each of them could put the top part on...great memories!!

[Kathy Jo]

ARTIFICIAL! The eqivilant of having a real tree in your house, is like having a wild tiger in your house. Some things just need to stay outside. lol Also a good money saver. You don't have to spend 70-100 bucks a year one one tree that will die and is only used for a month...if it last's that long. Invest in an artificial tree. Less Mess, more money. Walmart. Always low prices. haha that just sounds like it goes together. XD Holly, your tree looks beautiful! Good Job.

[Sandra]

Love our artificial tree. It is the perfect tree! Both of us used to sneeze our way through the holidays with the real trees. Finally, we came to our senses and have never looked back.

[Joni Sweet]

Morning Holly :-)
Growing up with a real tree every yr was great because I got to go with Dad to search it out, cut it down, bring it home & SMELL the pine... lovely. It was hard to adjust to an artifical Christmas tree once I moved into an apt... IT IS A CRIME TO HAVE A REAL TREE IN AN APARTMENT YOU RENT!!!... After the first cpl yrs. I accepted it & now I'm THANKFUL for having an artifical CHRISTMAS TREE!!! It takes less than 5 mins. total to put up, no watering (as you mentioned) and each yr the $ that it would've taken to buy a real tree + gas to go get it is extra for the church Missions offering! :-)
Hoping your days are bountiful!!! Your CHRISTMAS TREE is beautiful too.
~Joni
P.s. Have you priced the real trees lately??? Wow!

[Kristen]

While I agree with you 110%, I have a husband who "has never had a fake tree and never will!" Now we are serving in Serbia and finding a Christmas tree is a little difficult...but he pulled it off...Praise the Lord, my tree is now up!!!

[stephanie]

umm, artificial. buy the scented candle. the ONE year we had a real tree it died the week of christmas and every time you walked through the living room, gobs of needles fell off. it was a sad tree.

[taylor]

i grew up always having an artificial tree, and it never bothered me a bit! we didn't leave near a christmas tree farm anyway, and as a thrifty bunch, it seemed more practical to just buy one tree and reuse it for several years. when i have a family of my own, we'll probably do the same!

[Colleen Gebhardt]

I'm on the 'it's a crime team'. Never had a phony tree, never will. I'm the only one left in my family that gets a real tree. My Dad would never have a fake tree in his house, and you know how I hold on to those little things. They're all I got!

[Lindsey]

Artificial all the way! I am something of a perfectionist when it comes to the art of decorating a Christmas tree. My aunt calls me in to do hers each year and at home I'm known to redecorate a couple of times. There is actually an art to "fluffing" the branches of the tree...and getting the lights, ornaments and garlands spaced. :)

[Spencer Arnold]

I grew up with 7 foot tall real trees every year and every year it was a hassle to water them, set them up, clean up all the pine needles, take it down before it caught fire, and situate so the best side faces forward. Now I use an artificial fibre optics tree. None of the above applies... simply take out of the box and plug in... Artificial all the way.

[EtotheP]

REAL all day! Fake trees are a crime!

[Kendra]

We have been getting a real tree the past 3 years. The experience of it is fun (horse ride, cider, sawing it down) but I'm ready to go back to artificial!! This tree doesn't have a scent :(... So, I guess we're a divided family too, because everyone else wants to keep getting real trees. Guess we'll see... but I do watch the clearance artificial trees in January!!

[Leslie]

Your tree is beautiful but I can't go without the real thing. The smell of evergreen filling the house makes me so happy! I have a puppy this year so I'm just praying he doesn't tear it down or worse...

[Kim Jones]

We used to get a real tree each year, but it was just too much trouble to keep it from drying out before Christmas day. And, yes, we tried all the tricks people told us to do: recut the trunk, put some aspirin in the water, etc. We've had an artificial tree for the past 10 years and love it!

[Ginger Leppert]

I said I would never have an artificial tree...but when it became just me doing the tree and the discovery of Gold Canyon candles (Holiday Wreath) I broke down and am not going back!!!!

It is sooooo great to be able to move branches where I want them too!

Enjoy and a very merry Christmas to you!

[kara-kae james]

We go artificial. I was raised that way, and my first Christmas at my hubby's parents...I discovered I am allergic to real christmas trees! That was an interesting Christmas :) So, it will always be artifical in our home!