General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsReal Christmas tree or artificial Christmas tree?
24 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited | |
Real tree | |
9 (38%) |
|
Artificial tree | |
8 (33%) |
|
No tree | |
7 (29%) |
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0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided. | |
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Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)Archae
(46,939 posts)I have two cats.
Liberal Veteran
(22,239 posts)marlakay
(12,205 posts)I filled it with all kinds of dangly things. A few years ago my cats would have at least batted a few, this year they yawned and barely noticed this huge tree was in their space!
They still play with toys, I don't get it....my husband did find the nutcracker with fuzzy hair on table moved way over...so they are having some fun...
Freddie
(9,763 posts)DH loves the annual ritual of going to a Christmas tree farm and chopping down the "perfect tree", which can take hours to find. This year's tree will be decorated tonight with all the ornaments we've collected over the years. Our couch-potato cats could care less, except for Samantha who insists on drinking the water meant to keep the tree from drying out.
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)bigwillq
(72,790 posts)canoeist52
(2,282 posts)that we may ponder the deep social, economic, and environmental repercussions of both.
petronius
(26,671 posts)When I was growing up it was always artificial - I like real a lot better...
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)ChazII
(6,326 posts)Hekate
(95,588 posts)It's the perfect size to hang all my favorite ornaments on, about 4 ft high. The lights glow, Father Winter stand atop it, and all kinds of memories are on that "tree."
The kids are long grown, but when they were little and I was poor I used to take them to the Xmas tree lot and tell my little boy that we'd be getting "a biiig tree, as tall as you!" He really liked that.
There's a time and a place for everything.
SidDithers
(44,273 posts)but this year's version is already raining needles.
It's gonna be a Christmas stalk and bare branches by the 25th.
Oh well, at least we won't accidentally throw out any ornaments. They'll be easy to find, without any needles hiding them.
Sid
silverweb
(16,402 posts)[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I bought this adorable, 18-inch "evergreen" tree with color-changing fiberoptics worked into its branches more than 10 years ago for a song.
It's a little lopsided and sparse, too small for other ornaments, and the cats, after sniffing it over when it's brought out each year, leave it alone thereafter.
My kids laugh at it and tease me, and periodically try to get me to replace it with something "nicer," but I love it and won't give it up.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)tiny ornaments.
After a few years without any tree, the family is okay with this one. And I have grown to really like it.
silverweb
(16,402 posts)NRaleighLiberal
(60,625 posts)My parents went from really awful looking real trees (true Charlie Brown classics) to a shocking white fake tree (what were they thinking). My wife and I started real - and haven't looked back!
madamesilverspurs
(16,101 posts)I could never touch the tree due to allergies; my "helping" was limited to handing the ornaments to those who could decorate without breaking out in a rash. For a few years in childhood we had live trees, and they were planted in the yard after Christmas.
HeiressofBickworth
(2,682 posts)I prefer a real tree -- different trees make for a new look every year. Love the scent, also. But daughter became totally frustrated with stringing the lights so she bought a fake tree with the lights built in. It is perfectly conical in shape -- so it looks the same year after year. I suppose melting evergreen incense would replace the scent. However, I do miss a real tree.
840high
(17,196 posts)a Better Homes Fresh Cut Frazier candle in downstairs bathroom. Smells lovely and real.
JustAnotherGen
(33,969 posts)On mine.
My husband is terribly allergic to the real trees. Like eyes that puff up and hives.
The pine scent doesn't bother him on the scentsicles.
Love the pre lit tree - less intensive to take down.
handmade34
(22,992 posts)for everyone available to go out and find the most compelling tree, cut it down, drag it to the house and argue about it being straight or not and how many lights to put on it... tinsel or not... and...
...always though, the same angel on top we've used for years and eggnog while we are decorating
more difficult each year to find one small enough to fit in the house...
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B Calm
(28,762 posts)and bravery.
we cut the 100 footers, use the top for Xmas tree and the rest for firewood in the bonfire!!
never forget the one that came down with squirrel nest and all... the startled squirrel jumping on my youngest and scaring the bejeezus out of him
MissB
(16,142 posts)And it takes me maybe 10 minutes to get to the nearest u-cut tree farm. Takes forever to pick out a tree since all four of us have equal veto power (and use it). I think we hiked around the tree farm three times last weekend.
The two cats leave the tree alone. I don't know why. Maybe because they can walk outside and climb a really big tree anywhere in the yard.
Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, a real tree is just a tradition for both dh and me.
hedgehog
(36,286 posts)45 acres of red pine Christmas trees - but never got around to harvesting any.
Red pine is pretty much useless for anything, and the trees are way overcrowded now.
So every year, my husband cuts one down, and we use the best 10' section for our Christmas tree (and the rest goes to make shelter for wildlife. )
I should mention - we've been supplementing the red pine monoculture by planting maples, oaks, walnuts, hickories, apples, cherries and chestnuts.
flvegan
(64,699 posts)silverweb
(16,402 posts)[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]I guess for purposes of this poll, that would be either the 3rd or 4th choice listed - with your elaboration, if desired.
Happy Festivus!
Buns_of_Fire
(17,996 posts)It's much easier to swing during the Airing of Grievances than a Douglas Fir is.
2naSalit
(94,138 posts)I have a few Coulter Pine cones that I gathered in San Diego a long time ago. I drizzle a little tinsel on them and leave in there for a couple weeks.
These things are colossal, have lethal hook-like points, weigh up to six or more pounds - really! - and are like hardwood. I just like the way they look with tinsel and maybe some little colored spheres set in the crevices.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)Historical acculturation is a rather difficult concept for the lay person.
sakabatou
(43,394 posts)Brickbat
(19,339 posts)ETA: I don't see how made-in-China artificial beats a renewable resource.
Blue_In_AK
(46,436 posts)I wasn't too excited about it at first, but we got a really pretty, natural -looking one, and we even put an evergreen scent stick down inside it, so it looks and smells very real. I appreciate not having to vacuum up all the needles and hauling it off to the recycler after the holidays.
KT2000
(21,027 posts)and climbs the tree so I put lights and decorations on a beam in the living room. The last real tree I had came from a tree farm that had been downwind from a fire so it smelled like smoke. All in all the beam has worked out.
MadrasT
(7,237 posts)But the mess made me nuts.
Last year I got a nice looking fake tree. Still not sure how I feel about it, or if I will bother this year. Tough time and not feeling celebratory.
LWolf
(46,179 posts)I've put a tree up maybe 3 times in the last decade.
UglyGreed
(7,661 posts)in our area, when I'm able to go my son uses my father's 50 year old four foot tree hand saw, the looks we get are priceless.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)and a tree just takes up too much space.
MerryBlooms
(11,903 posts)My allergies were so bad last year, I knew I couldn't take another season with a fresh tree. Good artificial trees are very expensive, but I bought our tree at the end of last season for 60% off. Boy, what a world of difference for me and my allergies! I wish I had gone artificial years ago.
JustAnotherGen
(33,969 posts)I miss real trees - but I live with someone that can't breath around one. No bueno.
kentauros
(29,414 posts)i.e., it's imaginary.
PotatoChip
(3,186 posts)Although this year, just the small artificial one, since my daughter won't be able to make it home for the holidays. Not worth the hassle to put up a real tree for just me and Mr PotatoChip.
In a normal year though, we typically would go out and get a 'charlie brown' tree from off our property, because I love the balsam fir smell. Buying one is only $20 bucks at a nearby 'cut your own' Christmas tree farm, but we are too cheap for perfection.
ProfessorGAC
(71,031 posts)My aunt and uncle had a tree fire in the mid-60's. We've been a fake tree family ever since.
GAC
seaglass
(8,181 posts)are considering a change. We add water to the real trees but don't necessarily change it all out and were told that bacteria could grow which would be bad for Jake if he drank it. Also I would be heartbroken if he broke some of our meaningful ornaments.
A table top real tree seemed to be the answer but after looking last weekend decided that was not desirable. Now I am thinking about going fake. The one plus with the fake other than not worrying about our dog getting bacteria-poisoned is that I do hate putting the lights on the tree every year as everyone else pretends they couldn't possibly figure out how to do it. A pre-lighted tree would be kind of great.
GummyBearz
(2,931 posts)In CA, christmas trees cost a lot more than in other states, due to our water costs. We don't want to drop $100 on a tree every year... so we got a very nice looking fake one for about $150 last year.
As a kid I'm glad my parents always got real trees. I love their smell and how every year the tree is different and unique
LibertyLover
(4,788 posts)but our dogs thought they were indoor plumbing and tried (and every once in a while succeeded) to lift their legs on them. So back to artificial it was for us.
Jamastiene
(38,197 posts)My family used an artificial tree every year, but we lost that when we moved. I had long since stopped putting up a tree at all, though. One of the first decisions I made once I gained my freedom through adulthood was to drop Christianity altogether. It is still shoved down my throat any time I go anywhere in public in this Bible Belt hometown of mine, but at home, at least, I am free of the preaching and overwhelming uber religious zealotry. A Christmas tree is the last thing I want to see this time of year, at home, at least.