I love real holiday trees! My memories are vivid of my mom getting the tree flocked at the lot, then bringing a beautiful white tree into the house. The other option my mom had was to get a silver tip tree and painstakingly hang silver tinsel on the tree. Somehow, I am not the woman my mom is. I have had a fake tree for over 25 years. Let me tell you, my story.
As a single woman, without a truck, I would go to the tree lot, pick a tree then tie it to the roof of the car. Yes, it was quite a sight, but I lovingly did it. After the holidays I would put the tree out at the curb and the city would pick it up. Then one year, the city decided not to pick up the trees. They wanted us to take the trees to the park to be recycled. What was I supposed to do? I don’t have a truck and didn’t want to tie the crisp tree to the roof of the car. I was so mad; I tied the tree to the back of the car and dragged it to the park. Now that was quite a sight!
It took me a couple of years to find the perfect artificial tree. My recommendation is to not be in a hurry to get a tree. Just like when you go to the tree lot, look it over, is the tree the right height, is the branch spacing good, is it the right width?
Choosing a holiday tree is an emotional decision. In 2020, more people are choosing real trees. I understand, it’s a family outing and the smell of a real tree is awesome. But artificial trees are becoming more popular every year.
Pros and Cons of each tree.
Fresh Trees
Pro – A real tree smells wonderful! Most trees do not come from the forest; they are grown on plantations in all 50 states. Buying real trees helps support small local farmers. Many families prefer the tradition of going to a tree farm to select and cut a tree.
Con – A cut tree stays fresh for only 2 to 3 weeks. After that it can become very dry. Another con is getting the tree home.
Artificial Trees
Pro – You can put up and take down an artificial tree any time you want. Approximately, 60% of Americans put up an artificial tree. The tree is easy to store after the holidays. There are no fallen needles to pick up.
Cons – It does not smell like the holidays. Really good trees can be expensive. They can break. If they are pre-lit, the lights may go burn out. Some trees can be complicated to put up.â–
