Real or Artificial?

[goooof1]

REAL, always had real...... love the smell !! goes up ~~sometime~~ before x-mas and comes down around the week after new years. keep it watered, so it does last pretty well.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Most years we've had real, a few years artificial. We went artificial this year because DH wanted it up early, and I love it! I can change the lights from white to colored with the press of a foot pedal.

Now to find some Christmas tree scent to spray in the house.....

I bought a pack of those car air freshener trees at the auto place and hung them deep in the branches. Instant pine smell!

 

[georgina]

I had no idea so many were allergic to Christmas trees.

It's not actually the trees, but molds that come with it, from what I have read. I developed some asthma issues as an adult, and some years the trees bothered me more than others. We had switched to an artificial in the family room where I spent the most time and a live one in the living room window, but now we have moved and only have room for one tree, so fake it is!

 

[tvguy]

I'm 64 and I think I can count on one hand the number or real trees we have had. My dad was a lumber salesman and he thought real Christmas trees were a wasted resource that, left to grow, could be used to build someone a house.
As for me, 42 years in the news media, covered too many fatal house fires caused by Christmas trees.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

As for me, 42 years in the news media, covered too many fatal house fires caused by Christmas trees.

That can happen with electrical too like stringing too many lights together or having older lights or exposed wiring sometimes just freak accidents occurring. It's one of those things you have to keep an eye out for. I liken to fire pits. If you own one there are just things that you have to make sure to do to reduce the likelihood of fires.

 

[georgina]

I'm 64 and I think I can count on one hand the number or real trees we have had. My dad was a lumber salesman and he thought real Christmas trees were a wasted resource that, left to grow, could be used to build someone a house.

Perhaps he grew up in a time when people went out into the forest to cut down a tree? I think most trees these days come from tree farms and are planted specifically for Christmas. They're not growing into lumber producers.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Artificial. We stopped using real, when DS was born. I was afraid of fire. I've never gone back, because I have mostly heavy, glass ornaments now. My main tree is all blown glass ornaments, which are too heavy for a real tree.

 

[tvguy]

Perhaps he grew up in a time when people went out into the forest to cut down a tree? I think most trees these days come from tree farms and are planted specifically for Christmas. They're not growing into lumber producers.

A lot of the Christmas trees here are from National Forests, harvested from specific areas with permits, to thin the forest and reduce fire danger. And the huge wildfires here in recent years have prompted an increase in these forest thinning operations. There are a few local Christmas tree farms here, but our other issue here is drought. So many of those Christmas tree farms have gone away, and been replaced with crops that use less water and feed people.

 

[Metro West]

Artificial for me.

 

[neverlandsky]

Artifical due to allergies.

 

[tvguy]

That can happen with electrical too like stringing too many lights together or having older lights or exposed wiring sometimes just freak accidents occurring. It's one of those things you have to keep an eye out for. I liken to fire pits. If you own one there are just things that you have to make sure to do to reduce the likelihood of fires.

Oh lord, fire pits. My neighbors had a Super Bowl Sunday party in February, and keeping with covid recommendations, had it outside by their pool, with propane heaters and a portable metal fire pit. I was still working from home them, getting up at 2:45 am to log on to work at 3 am. I come out to the family room Monday morning at 2:45m am and hear a commotion outside, and see and orange glow. My neighbor has a hose dousing the fire pit. It was away from everything, but there was a enough wood on it that it somehow burst into flames. Grandma was staying with them watching their 2 year old during the party, and she sleeps with a window ajar year round. The smoke got sucked into their house and set off all the smoke detectors, apparently about the time I got up. They used that fire pit just once, and Friday is trash pickup day, and it was in the trash by then. His wife says he could never use it again.

 

[DisneyHardin]

I meant to vote for artificial, but for some reason, accidentally clicked on real. I like a real tree, but I also like being able to put it up early, so we abandoned real trees about 15 years ago. We have tall ceilings in our living room, so we invested in a nice 9 foot tree from Sam's Club a few years ago and it is just perfect for the space.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Oh lord, fire pits. My neighbors had a Super Bowl Sunday party in February, and keeping with covid recommendations, had it outside by their pool, with propane heaters and a portable metal fire pit. I was still working from home them, getting up at 2:45 am to log on to work at 3 am. I come out to the family room Monday morning at 2:45m am and hear a commotion outside, and see and orange glow. My neighbor has a hose dousing the fire pit. It was away from everything, but there was a enough wood on it that it somehow burst into flames. Grandma was staying with them watching their 2 year old during the party, and she sleeps with a window ajar year round. The smoke got sucked into their house and set off all the smoke detectors, apparently about the time I got up. They used that fire pit just once, and Friday is trash pickup day, and it was in the trash by then. His wife says he could never use it again.

Most fires I see that get started around here people had them too close to the house commonly on a wood deck and a lot of those times those are portable ones. You really have to douse the heck out of them to ensure there aren't embers left. Our firepit is out in the yard and is not a portable one but one made with concrete and bricks but we have our hose available to use and really get a good soaking to make sure no embers are left when we're done. But I still keep in the back of my mind the risks associated with a firepit (portable or not).

I completely understand your neighbor's desire to use it just once because of what happened to them.

 

[martikus]

Real but once my son moves away we will be doing fake. I just don’t have the patience for the needles and such anymore.

 

[Ginger R]

Artificial for us. We had real trees the first few years we were married but I didn't like worrying about watering it. This is our 17th year with an artificial tree. I love that it goes up Thanksgiving weekend and can enjoy it all through New Year's.

 

[soccerdad72]

Artificial. I wouldn’t mind a real one but too much hassle these days.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Artificial

 

[Mousemom234]

"Tommybaum"

 

[ronandannette]

I love a real tree both for the look and the fragrance but in our current home we need a very specific shape and size so we've being going with an artificial one for all the years we've lived here.

 

[ncc1701]

One of each. The artificial tree goes into family room. Since we spend the most time there& real trees bother both our Sinuses. The real tree is in the living room at the front window. We buy it annually from the Fire Company. Added bonus they deliver it to the house.