Real or Artificial

[Killick]

I prefer real, but the family goes for fake. I've had real at my place... though since I usually work on Christmas, the last time I even had a tree was about five years ago. Recently moved the furniture around for the first time in years, and yep -- got stuck in the foot with a pine needle. Says alot about my housekeeping, I guess.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

I will never, ever, ever be a fake tree person. Ever.

You can make all the arguments about the environment, the clean up, the ease, the smell, whatever, but fake trees are like blasphemy to me. If you like them, or have to have them because of some building code or allergies or whatever, that's your business.

But I find them to be evil. And fake tree "pushers" can meet me in the parking lot where I will deliver an eggnog-soaked beating.

Nothing personal.

Understood. And anyone who pushes something on you deserves the eggnog-laced thumping.

But some advantages to artificial trees:
1) More cost-efficient
2) Less of a fire hazard
3) The ones that have lights on them have much taken care of for you. Don't use tinsel, though ... messy!
4) Less trash

I understand enjoying the traditions, real smell and where Double Down is coming from. But we've never done anything other than the artificial tree. I've had family members do nothing but real trees. The artificial tree stays here.

 

[txsportsscribe]

always a real tree, 15-20 feet tall

treenis envy

 

[Mizzougrad96]

get a fake tree with lights already on it. you'll be glad you did.

Agreed. I'm the last person anyone would consider a tree-hugger, but killing a tree to put up in my living room for a month just doesn't seem right.

Also, given the cost of real trees, buying a fake one you can use for 10 years just makes more sense.

 

[heyabbott]

We had an electric Menorah growing up. My mother would say the prayer then screw in the light bulb.

 

[trifectarich]

Go for the real thing if your idea of fun is finding pine needles throughout the house two years later.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

get a fake tree with lights already on it. you'll be glad you did.

Agreed. I'm the last person anyone would consider a tree-hugger, but killing a tree to put up in my living room for a month just doesn't seem right.

Also, given the cost of real trees, buying a fake one you can use for 10 years just makes more sense.

They are raised on tree farms for that purpose, like your Thanksgiving turkey. When we are done with ours, I drag it back to the woods so it can rot and become one with the earth. Meantime, timid woodland creatures seek refuge from the elements under its close-to-the ground bushiness.

 

[playthrough]

Real trees are a huge pain in the ass. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[txsportsscribe]

i remember as a kid we had a fake tree that was metallic silver with rotating color gels and a light at the bottom.

kinda like this one.

what was my mother thinking?

 

[Mizzougrad96]

get a fake tree with lights already on it. you'll be glad you did.

Agreed. I'm the last person anyone would consider a tree-hugger, but killing a tree to put up in my living room for a month just doesn't seem right.

Also, given the cost of real trees, buying a fake one you can use for 10 years just makes more sense.

They are raised on tree farms for that purpose, like your Thanksgiving turkey. When we are done with ours, I drag it back to the woods so it can rot and become one with the earth. Meantime, timid woodland creatures seek refuge from the elements under its close-to-the ground bushiness.

That's fair. The fake trees look so good now that in order to get a real equivalent, you would have to spend well over $100.

 

[Beef03]

My dad's a minister and he hates Christmas trees. Before he and my mom had any of us kids, I'm not sure they even had a tree, just a nativity scene and a wreath. Once my older sister was born My mom pushed and he finally relented. We got a four foot artificial tree that we used for the next 15 years or so. We would put it on an end table and the presents would go underneath the table. Then finally a year or two after my little brother was born (he's 12 years younger than me) we got a six or seven foot tree artificial tree. But no lights. How my dad hates all the coloured Christmas lights -- we still had plenty of decorations. And that worked for a couple of more years until my mom just said screw it and went out and bought lights for the tree.

It's not like my dad is a scrooge or anything -- I actually think buying Christmas presents is one of his favourite things to do, its an almost year-round obsession with him, even for me now although I am a couple of weeks from turning 26 every so often I'll get a phone call from him and it will be a general don't buy this type of phone call, without saying why. He just hates Christmas trees and thinks that too much attention is spent on them.

I myself haven't owned a tree since I moved out for college at 17. But I also don't have a wife or kids so to me it's not that big a deal. I am rather indifferent to them.

 

[JR]

For those of you who want fake trees, why don't you just get this:

I hate fake trees.

 

[mustangj17]

I really love live trees, but Stan can't climb fake ones (well, he learned how in January last year), so that's what we have.

I hope Stan is a cat and not a husband/bf/relative/dog.

 

[expendable]

Real tree for me. And it has to be a fraser fir. As someone who has friends in the tree business, is one of those little items that's not negotiable in my house.

 

[sportschick]

I really love live trees, but Stan can't climb fake ones (well, he learned how in January last year), so that's what we have.

I hope Stan is a cat and not a husband/bf/relative/dog.

He's the closest thing in my life to a boyfriend/husband.

 

[mike311gd]

I find tinsel distracting.

Tinsel sucks.

 

[mike311gd]

For years I was a "real" tree person. Now, I'm a converted faker. Why you ask? Because I couldn't deal with the sense that it was a total waste. This tree was chopped up and killed for a few weeks out of the year. Plus it was a mess and a pain in the ass to buy, set up and dispose of.

(And, yes, I know we're not really saving any trees.)

Now, my little fake tree takes us 20 minutes to set up. No waste. No problem.

Before I catch any flak, let me say this: Yes my tree is fake. So is 99 percent of everything else associated with Christmas. Jesus was born. That's the significance. Not Santa Fatass Claus, reindeers and all that other made up, commercial bull****.

So, my tree is fake. So is Christmas. Suck it.

 

[mike311gd]

For those of you who want fake trees, why don't you just get this:

I hate fake trees.

I bought one last year for my annual Festivus party on Dec. 23. It was a big, big hit. I made posters like the one Kramer's holding above, and we met at my parents' downstairs bar to air our grievances and and tell every body all the ways we let each other down.

 

[Ace]

For those of you who want fake trees, why don't you just get this:

I hate fake trees.

I bought one last year for my annual Festivus party on Dec. 23. It was a big, big hit. I made posters like the one Kramer's holding above, and we met at my parents' downstairs bar to air our grievances and and tell every body all the ways we let each other down.

That party must have lasted through New Year's then.

 

[mike311gd]

And I didn't even get a chance to talk. I'm going first this year. I'm hoping they keep the focus off me for once.