Christmas trees: Real or Artificial?

theartistformerlyknownas · December 2014

H is allergic to real trees, AND the dust that inevitably comes along with the fake one!

While I greatly prefer real, artificial is the lesser of two evils.

ohannabelle · December 2014

beethery said:

ohannabelle said:

Real real real. And fresh.
Because the smell! That smell is serious holiday aromatherapy. And I dislike artificial trees the same way I dislike artificial flowers.

If you're losing needles to the point that it's a nuisance, your tree isn't fresh enough.

If you hose them down thoroughly first, you wash the dust and pollen off, which works beautifully for dust and pollen allergies. If you're actually allergic to tree, you're out of luck.

Never had spiders, and never heard of anybody who did. I did find a sweet little bird nest one year, which is supposed to be good luck, but I did not win the lottery.

Tree farms are good for the environment, and good for farmers, and good for the economy, and good for me.

My tree doesn't smell unless you shove your face into it. It makes me sad.

Sadly, as trees are becoming more hybridized, they are smelling less fragrant than they used to. The grand fir still has a hell of a smell, but I have to get a noble because sturdier branches. I compensate by bring in wild branches to decorate with. Cedar and pine and fir.

theartistformerlyknownas · December 2014

<THESE> are the best I've found for replicating real Christmas tree scent. A friend of mine worked on developing them, and they used oils from real Douglas fir to create it.

Pineberry from Yankee Candle is a close second. YUM.

chibiyui · December 2014

I just wanted to AW my tree.

Cookie Pusher · December 2014

I'm also allergic to real trees. Plus, we cannot control the temperature in our apartment (but we also don't pay for heat, it's part of our rent payment) so all the real trees we used to get would die and shed buttloads of needles everywhere. We got a pre-lit tree a few years ago and haven't looked back. So much less hassle AND I can put up/take down the tree by myself if DH is too swamped to help.

daria24 · December 2014

I've never had a tree that made a huge mess, I wonder why? Sure there are some needles that fall off but it's not a crazy amount. And they is some stickiness but nothing too crazy.

Our's smells amazing.

WhatawagSBNy · December 2014

My daughter has been extremely shy as a preschooler. We adopted her after a year in hospital for burns, and have had to use lots of gentle encouragement to get her to talk to anyone new.

Only the second time she ever spoke to someone new was when we were delivering baked goodies to and old friend I grew up with. She looked out their window at NH woods, then pointed to their artificial tree and said," what's that doing here with all the nice trees outside?"
2 1/2 years we hoped she would speak up to a stranger after being introduced.

I'm sure happy we brought cookies, fudge and maple sugar candy. Something to fill my friend's open mouth (from shock of insult). Knowing her history everyone was very nice ...after a long pause.
My hubby has been lobbying for fake this year. NYC boy. Not a chance.

Cookie Pusher · December 2014

daria24 said:

I've never had a tree that made a huge mess, I wonder why? Sure there are some needles that fall off but it's not a crazy amount. And they is some stickiness but nothing too crazy.

Our's smells amazing.

We had real trees growing up, and never had a problem (other than my allergies, which my parents gave nonefucks about - see also: let's get a cat even though our oldest child is extremely allergic!). Every year DH and I bought a real tree, though, we had nothing but problems. We'd get them from different places (some pre-cut, some we cut ourselves), but they always, always, always left piles of needles embedded in our carpet. I'd be vacuuming pine needles up in August! I finally decided enough was enough and got the pre-lit.

amelisha · December 2014

@ohannabelle, it's not just the needles for me though, it's the whole dirty production of getting the thing in the house and taking care of it once it's in there too. Real trees are way more work from the buying to transporting to caring for it once it's in your house and then getting rid of it after. Especially for an apartment dweller...I mean, I understand that for some people it's worth it but if my entire Christmas decorating project takes me more than an hour I'm just not interested, haha.

I'm not the sentimental type, though, clearly. I didn't even put up my artifical tree this year because it seemed like too much of a pain when we're not having any family over or any parties this year.

labro · December 2014

ohannabelle said:

beethery said:

ohannabelle said:

Real real real. And fresh.
Because the smell! That smell is serious holiday aromatherapy. And I dislike artificial trees the same way I dislike artificial flowers.

If you're losing needles to the point that it's a nuisance, your tree isn't fresh enough.

If you hose them down thoroughly first, you wash the dust and pollen off, which works beautifully for dust and pollen allergies. If you're actually allergic to tree, you're out of luck.

Never had spiders, and never heard of anybody who did. I did find a sweet little bird nest one year, which is supposed to be good luck, but I did not win the lottery.

Tree farms are good for the environment, and good for farmers, and good for the economy, and good for me.

My tree doesn't smell unless you shove your face into it. It makes me sad.

Sadly, as trees are becoming more hybridized, they are smelling less fragrant than they used to. The grand fir still has a hell of a smell, but I have to get a noble because sturdier branches. I compensate by bring in wild branches to decorate with. Cedar and pine and fir.

I have to say the Fraser fir my parents got this year REALLY has filled the home with its smell. It's absolutely amazing! Usually their trees smell pretty nice but this one has been exceptional. As far as needles - we do a test at the tree lot if we're getting a pre-cut tree. We pull on a few on the branches and see if any needles fall out. If a lot come off then we don't get the tree...if none fall out or only one or two then the tree is pretty fresh and we take it home and have very little mess until the end when it's time to get rid of the tree (usually the weekend after New Years).

sophhabobopha · December 2014

MagicInk said:

I'd like a real tree. But I don't want to you know...take care of it, clean up the needles, ect, ect.

So we do fake.

Yuuup.

Also, we have Fi's grandparent's tree and it'll all yellowed from use (white), and I love it. It feels loved

themuffinman16 · December 2014

REAL!!! My H can be so bitter about real Christmas trees. But they are so much fun. I always remember going to the lot and picking out the best one. Sure, you need to vacuum, but it's worth it. I love waking up to the smell of a fresh tree. H knows he will never win the battle of having a fake Christmas tree as long as I am alive. Lol.

Below is our tree and an ornament my sister gave us for our first married Christmas. It has our wedding date on it with a bride and groom snowman . I put the ornament in the center of our tree.

chibiyui · December 2014

So. THIS is going on lightning deal at 7.

cupcait927 · December 2014

@ohannabelle your tree is absolutely gorgeous!

@lapeanut1018 That is a handy tip to have about the needles to see if the tree is fresh enough. We cut ours down this year and it is losing needles like crazy. Next year we may do a pre-cut tree so I'll have to try your trick.

morphemes · December 2014

I also vote real! We always get a real tree. I guess it's a little bit more work, but totally worth it! We vacuum once, when we take the tree down, but otherwise there really aren't that many needles that fall, and they mostly do so on the tree skirt. Plus I could just never get a pre-lit/decorated tree!! One of the best evenings is drinking spiked eggnog with my BF and laughing and putting ornaments on the tree. So much fun! Plus--it makes the whole house smell like Christmas

beethery · December 2014

lolo883 said:

<THESE> are the best I've found for replicating real Christmas tree scent. A friend of mine worked on developing them, and they used oils from real Douglas fir to create it.

Pineberry from Yankee Candle is a close second. YUM.

I prefer Christmas Wreath.

It smells fucking MAGICAL.

hellosweetie1015 · December 2014

I am the only one who voted neither.

My reasoning is that I give zero fucks about what kind of Christmas tree it is. Just give me a tree and let me put shinies on it and lights and sit and stare at it, and let me cut paper and glue paper and make shit to go on the tree, and just generally be gleeful at Christmas.

Yes, hi, I'm a seven-year-old!

Cookie Pusher · December 2014

beethery said:

lolo883 said:

<THESE> are the best I've found for replicating real Christmas tree scent. A friend of mine worked on developing them, and they used oils from real Douglas fir to create it.

Pineberry from Yankee Candle is a close second. YUM.

I prefer Christmas Wreath.

It smells fucking MAGICAL.

Bath & Body Works used to have a scent called Tree that was... well... perfectly tree-like. It was our go-to winter scent when we started putting up artificial trees. Sadly, they discontinued it, but one of my coworkers bought me one of the big 3-wick candles as a Secret Santa gift two years ago that we've only sparingly used.

Inkdancer · December 2014

The owner of the tree farm I loved and went to every year passed away and the family sold the farm, so I got an artificial tree. H hates stringing lights (was made to do it by perfectionist, rude parents) so he loves the fake tree. Also my brother is violently allergic to real trees.

ohannabelle · December 2014

Inkdancer said:

The owner of the tree farm I loved and went to every year passed away and the family sold the farm, so I got an artificial tree. H hates stringing lights (was made to do it by perfectionist, rude parents) so he loves the fake tree. Also my brother is violently allergic to real trees.

Guilt. I am a perfectionist rude parent, when it comes to lights.

I go in with florist tape, and everybody just gets the eff out of my way till it's over.

jenna8984 · December 2014

I can honestly say that I've never had a real tree.

Had a fake one growing up, have a fake one now. I'm a bit of a scrooge and don't really give a shit about Christmas- I will never be the mom who bakes Christmas cookies or sends out family cards. Just not my thing. So I'm all for the convenience of fake.

WinstonsGirl · December 2014

Real, always. We had it growing up, and my parents finally switched to artificial a few years ago. SIL is allergic (she says) to my Brother doesn't get one either. We're the last hold outs in the family. We get them at Ikea for $20 (with a $20 coupon at Ikea included). I think we're going to decorate tonight.

theartistformerlyknownas · December 2014

ohannabelle said:

Inkdancer said:

The owner of the tree farm I loved and went to every year passed away and the family sold the farm, so I got an artificial tree. H hates stringing lights (was made to do it by perfectionist, rude parents) so he loves the fake tree. Also my brother is violently allergic to real trees.

Guilt. I am a perfectionist rude parent, when it comes to lights.
I go in with florist tape, and everybody just gets the eff out of my way till it's over.

Why didn't I think of that?! I was raging that these damned newfangled lights don't have the little clippies on each bulb to ensure that it stays just precisely so. They just don't make them like the old days.

ohannabelle · December 2014

lolo883 said:

ohannabelle said:

Inkdancer said:

The owner of the tree farm I loved and went to every year passed away and the family sold the farm, so I got an artificial tree. H hates stringing lights (was made to do it by perfectionist, rude parents) so he loves the fake tree. Also my brother is violently allergic to real trees.

Guilt. I am a perfectionist rude parent, when it comes to lights.
I go in with florist tape, and everybody just gets the eff out of my way till it's over.

Why didn't I think of that?! I was raging that these damned newfangled lights don't have the little clippies on each bulb to ensure that it stays just precisely so. They just don't make them like the old days.

Because I didn't figure it out till I was 45. (Derp.) It works, and no ugly hanging wires. And here's the thing....out of 1200 lights, 200 hundred are random twinklers. So they have to be dispersed evenly throughout, and kind of hidden. Because I want random sparkly magical shimmering, not flashing disco stuff. It has to be a subtle sparkle. So there's a lot of cords that want hiding.

Also, florist wire for ornaments, because hooks are never the right length, or the turn the ornaments dumb directions.

themosthappy91 · December 2014

Funny story.

I'm probably the biggest real tree enthusiast in the world, like actually. I have only ever not had a real tree one year in my life- freshman year in college. Sophomore year I moved into a tiny one bedroom apartment with DH (then BF) and STILL insisted we get a real tree, "as large as can possibly fit". Not just that, but when time came to leave our college apartment for our month-long Winter Break I decided it was "too sad to throw out a tree before Christmas" so I insisted that on top of all the other shit we had to bring home we pack the tree up in the car (yes INSIDE THE CAR) and drive it the four hours back to our mutual hometown (along with all our lights and ornaments) and then completely redecorate it for a second time at DH's childhood home. And we continued that tradition junior and senior year as well. Sooooooo I would say that qualifies me as a "real tree enthusiast".

I just love everything about them. Picking them out, putting the lights on just right, rearranging the lights (we do the big color ones that unscrew so it's a whole other step to appropriately color-space the individual lights once they are on the tree), putting on the ornaments... every tree is so unique! Y'all, life it too short to worry about a little dirt, dropped needles, swarms of newly-hatched poisonous spiders etc...

themuffinman16 · December 2014

My sister had a old cat, her knickname was Satan's mongrel. This cat would climb to the trees... every year and she'd manage to get one eye glued shut by sap. This did not act as the deterrent that we thought it would. Around Christmas, we called her Blinky.

huskypuppy14 · December 2014

My parents always have a real tree, and I spend Christmas at their house. I was going to get a tree this year (I usually don't) but it never happened. I went to a party on Saturday, and my friend had a fake tree from Target that was the best fake tree I've ever seen. I might try artificial next year.

beethery · December 2014

ohannabelle said:

lolo883 said:

ohannabelle said:

Inkdancer said:

The owner of the tree farm I loved and went to every year passed away and the family sold the farm, so I got an artificial tree. H hates stringing lights (was made to do it by perfectionist, rude parents) so he loves the fake tree. Also my brother is violently allergic to real trees.

Guilt. I am a perfectionist rude parent, when it comes to lights.
I go in with florist tape, and everybody just gets the eff out of my way till it's over.

Why didn't I think of that?! I was raging that these damned newfangled lights don't have the little clippies on each bulb to ensure that it stays just precisely so. They just don't make them like the old days.

Because I didn't figure it out till I was 45. (Derp.) It works, and no ugly hanging wires. And here's the thing....out of 1200 lights, 200 hundred are random twinklers. So they have to be dispersed evenly throughout, and kind of hidden. Because I want random sparkly magical shimmering, not flashing disco stuff. It has to be a subtle sparkle. So there's a lot of cords that want hiding.

Also, florist wire for ornaments, because hooks are never the right length, or the turn the ornaments dumb directions.

I made the mistake of getting twinklers this year. Most of my lights are less disco and more ecstasy-hype rave. And I can't adjust them.

theartistformerlyknownas · December 2014

ohannabelle said:

lolo883 said:

ohannabelle said:

Inkdancer said:

The owner of the tree farm I loved and went to every year passed away and the family sold the farm, so I got an artificial tree. H hates stringing lights (was made to do it by perfectionist, rude parents) so he loves the fake tree. Also my brother is violently allergic to real trees.

Guilt. I am a perfectionist rude parent, when it comes to lights.
I go in with florist tape, and everybody just gets the eff out of my way till it's over.

Why didn't I think of that?! I was raging that these damned newfangled lights don't have the little clippies on each bulb to ensure that it stays just precisely so. They just don't make them like the old days.

Because I didn't figure it out till I was 45. (Derp.) It works, and no ugly hanging wires. And here's the thing....out of 1200 lights, 200 hundred are random twinklers. So they have to be dispersed evenly throughout, and kind of hidden. Because I want random sparkly magical shimmering, not flashing disco stuff. It has to be a subtle sparkle. So there's a lot of cords that want hiding.

Also, florist wire for ornaments, because hooks are never the right length, or the turn the ornaments dumb directions.

You're definitely my mom.

JoanE2012 · December 2014

paperpusher said:

I do artificial. I've heard horror stories of spiders hiding in real trees and when you bring them inside and everything gets warmed up the eggs hatch and come out of the trees. ICK Here's a picture of mine this year

This! Happened to a friend. Holy crap, no thank you. Artificial for us!

Christmas trees: Real or Artificial?

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