Real or Artificial?

[Kittyblue]

Artificial because it's easy and no mess. The scent of a real tree is nice, though.

 

[Colleen27]

Our main tree is real, and we always cut it ourselves. I do have a smaller artificial tree I sometimes put up in the dining room as well, though I'm not going to this year since several rooms of our house are in remodeling limbo and I gave my son the table it used to sit on.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

Fake. I like to leave mine up from the week before T-giving until the week after New Year. Real won't make it that long. Plus, I must be the only person in the world who does not enjoy the scent of a real tree. It burns my nose.

Nope, I can’t stand the smell either.

 

[disney4us2002]

Help! For those with artificial, do you have pre-lit or add lights? I have a Balsam Hill pre-lit and three branches will not light up. Sooooo frustrating. I've adjusted, checked every bulb, wiggled the branches and cannot find any loose connections. This was a new purchase in 2020 and it is still under warranty but the idea of sending it back is just too much trouble. We bought a 2nd home with cathedral ceilings and now I'm thinking I shouldn't invest in a very expensive BH tree again. Our 7 ft pre-lit was $400 but the 12 ft BH run upward of $2000.

I'm not opposed to real but we haven't had the best luck as most of our ornaments are too heavy and they don't stay on the branches very well.

 

[Moliphino]

Real. We usually cut our own.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Help! For those with artificial, do you have pre-lit or add lights? I have a Balsam Hill pre-lit and three branches will not light up. Sooooo frustrating. I've adjusted, checked every bulb, wiggled the branches and cannot find any loose connections. This was a new purchase in 2020 and it is still under warranty but the idea of sending it back is just too much trouble. We bought a 2nd home with cathedral ceilings and now I'm thinking I shouldn't invest in a very expensive BH tree again. Our 7 ft pre-lit was $400 but the 12 ft BH run upward of $2000.

I'm not opposed to real but we haven't had the best luck as most of our ornaments are too heavy and they don't stay on the branches very well.

We bought a pre-lit one this year (first artificial tree). We brought it home about a week ago, and put it up immediately. Not because we were starting our decorating, but because we wanted to make sure everything was there and it works. We've lit it every day since and it looks great. We're thinking of adding an empty light string for plugging in the ornaments we have that require power for lights/sound. My husband thinks the light string already on the tree may not be adequate for that.

We got ours from Sam's Club.

 

[marthachick]

For the first time since we’ve been married, it’s fake. After 38 years of real trees, I’m sad. But with mobility issues and allergies, it’s time. We got a really nice tree at Lowe’s. We have it up but not decorated yet. Hopefully tomorrow after church.

 

[RedAngie]

In the past we had an artificial tree most years, with a real one every third or fourth year. But neither DH nor I want the hassle of a cut tree anymore; getting it straight in its stand, putting on the lights, watering it, dealing with dropped needles, etc.

Pre-lit fake from now on.

 

[amcnj]

When I was young everybody I knew had real trees. In the 1960’s I noticed artificial ones starting to pop up here and there.

We always had a real one from a tree farm. After moving to a house with a really tall ceiling in the room where the tree goes, it became increasingly difficult to find a tree that was tall but not super wide on the bottom. One year after Christmas BJ’s had an artifical one on sale that was just the perfect size and shape. So we caved and it has been artifical ever since.

I do miss going to a tree farm and tagging a tree though.

 

[tazdev3225]

I'm another in the allergy group. My husband thought I was crazy. I got an artificial after a few years of arguing with my husband, I loved the real trees but couldn't understand why every year, as soon as the tree went up, I got a "cold" then I started wheezing with bronchitis. Switched to an artificial tree about 2 years ago and no more "cold." It also explained the rash on my hands and arms after decorating the tree every year. I will have to tell him that I am not alone.

 

[Sinder]

Artificial. Dh and the kids always insisted on real but I was always the one dealing with the water, mess and skin allergies.
A few years ago I said no more and bought a fake one.

 

[design_mom]

Help! For those with artificial, do you have pre-lit or add lights? I have a Balsam Hill pre-lit and three branches will not light up. Sooooo frustrating. I've adjusted, checked every bulb, wiggled the branches and cannot find any loose connections. This was a new purchase in 2020 and it is still under warranty but the idea of sending it back is just too much trouble. We bought a 2nd home with cathedral ceilings and now I'm thinking I shouldn't invest in a very expensive BH tree again. Our 7 ft pre-lit was $400 but the 12 ft BH run upward of $2000.

I'm not opposed to real but we haven't had the best luck as most of our ornaments are too heavy and they don't stay on the branches very well.

We've had our christmas tree for 20+ years. It's a quality one, but we bought it shortly before pre-lit trees really became really popular, so it's not pre-lit. Everyone I know with a pre-lit tree has had issues with the lights on it (and ends up restringing it within a few years.) When it's time to replace this one -- hopefully not for a long time -- I still think I will choose a non-pre-lit one.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I like artificial trees. I've never had a real one. I am really not a fan of the smell of a real tree tbh. Others in the household have allergies anyway. I like real trees to stay in the yard

 

[MIGrandma]

When DH and I were first married we had a real tree. After Christmas he took it outside and lit a match to it. Gone in just a few seconds. No more real ones after that. With an artificial tree it can be up and enjoyed for weeks.

 

[kdonnel]

When DH and I were first married we had a real tree. After Christmas he took it outside and lit a match to it. Gone in just a few seconds. No more real ones after that. With an artificial tree it can be up and enjoyed for weeks.

That’s one of the benefits. One of our neighbors has a big wrap around porch. He throws his old Christmas trees under the porch. In June or July he pulls one or more out for the fire pit.

With two on the fire pit the flames are on the 40-60 foot tall range. For just a few seconds.

 

[Southernmiss]

Artificial. Tried a real one once, allergies tore us up the whole season.

 

[SueInBoston]

Real, cut our own at a tree farm. I thought price will skyrocket this year, but it is still $75 as years before.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

This year we put Scentsicles on our artificial tree and the smell is great.

I used to love my great-grandmother's silver artificial tree. Hahahaha, so tacky, but I adored it. It had one of those color wheels and when we'd visit the grownups would sit in the kitchen and talk while I sat in the living room staring at it, mesmerized.

 

[evilmommie]

I love all Christmas trees! We have both. 3 artificial and then we always do a real one in the great room that's where we socialize with our friends and family the majority of the time they are over.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We've had our christmas tree for 20+ years. It's a quality one, but we bought it shortly before pre-lit trees really became really popular, so it's not pre-lit. Everyone I know with a pre-lit tree has had issues with the lights on it (and ends up restringing it within a few years.) When it's time to replace this one -- hopefully not for a long time -- I still think I will choose a non-pre-lit one.

I'm with you. We've had to restring all of our pre-lit trees. When we buy another one, I'll look for one that isn't pre-lit.