Don't go by us...we have no children, no grands. So I have artificial that I've wired all the lights, garlands and nonbreakable ornaments to and I store it in the attic. To decorate, I bring it downstairs, fluff, add breakable ornaments and done. Still takes me a long time to decorate as I put up so much other stuff, but having the tree all set is a good thing for me.

We had fresh growing up as Dad had planted a bunch of small trees on the hill when they first moved. We have pictures of the family cutting and bringing in the tree every year for years. Then when we were married, we did fresh for a long time as well. But it's too much like work these days.

I have a fake tree. It does not shed fake needles nor does it need to be watered. The lights are already strung and don't have to be unstrung. It stores in my garage and takes up very little space. It's more than paid for itself over the years. Once all my ornaments are on, it looks like a real tree.

The only negative is no Christmas tree smell. That's not insignificant but I have Thymes Frasier Fir candle and oil and they come as close to real as I'm likely to get. All in all, it's not a bad compromise.

I've had fake and real. I started using fake when DH traveled internationally and would be gone for a couple weeks at the time I wanted to get the tree. So he'd haul the box out before he left the country and I'd put it together whenever I wanted. Like you say it looked nice when it was all decorated but it was a PITA to put up and take down.

Then I didn't have one for years before I decided to get a real one again when our realtor offered free trees. It was a Frasier fir - a great tree. After a couple years of free trees, I "invested" in Frasier firs that I bought from a local tree farm so super fresh and they lasted a good month with very little needle loss - could have kept longer if I wanted. They're beautiful but I don't think real trees smell all that much (at least in my experience) so I'd never get one for that reason. In addition to investing in the trees, after a couple years I had to invest in a new tree stand because the tree tipped over - shortly after we finished decorating and were sitting around admiring our work.

I'm no longer putting up a tree, as of last year, because I got a kitten that I'm sure would make a mess of it. My older cats are no problem. I'm hoping some day to get another one when she gets older. I do love the real trees - in part because they are so easy to put up and take down and partly because I enjoy the experience of picking out a unique and special tree each year. Added plus is that they don't take up any storage space in the off season.

I like the imperfections of real trees but I became deathly allergic so now we have a fake. After worrying about watering a real tree it took me years to finally stop wondering why I had a nagging feeling every time I passed by the fake tree.

You can always try a real tree next year and decide if you enjoy it more than your fake one. If not, you have your fake as a standby for the next year.

Use the fake tree you own, buy a fresh wreath, and hang that somewhere inside for the lovely aroma.

ETA: I bought a very nice wreath at Costco for $19. The suggestion of a quality candle, if you use them, is good because, like the fake tree, it would already be available when you want it. My wreath purchase was a whim because I had to go to Costco. Normally I try to avoid stores in late Nov and Dec.

I always had a real tree growing up and my DH and I had real trees for nearly 40 years. Did the whole tromping through the woods to cut them down when our children were younger. Bought a 7 1/2 foot artificial tree about 3 years ago from Costco. Will not go back. The real advantage as I see it are the lights. Snap, snap, snap and the tree lights up with a lot of lights. Stringing lights was the biggest drawback to live trees.

Like Bunny, I use the Thymes Frasier Fir candles. They smell just like a real tree.

Mine does not have the built in lights, but I fixed that. I used to take forever getting them in just the right place and pointed up at the end of a branch.

I got frustrated one year and just threw them on the tree. any which way. Moved so that them were sorta all over the tree. some go up, some go dow, and some go sidways. Ya know what, it still looked fine.

I was going to say "oh we have never had a fake one and never ever ever will." But then I realized we do have fake trees, plural! Three little ones I got for each kid's room. Each is different but they are uber cute. DS' is green w white lights, DD1's is tinsel w white lights, and DD2's is tinsel w pastel colored lights. DD2's is shown here in Maine at ThxG, when i brought it up for her apt.

One year I was shopping at Terrain and fell in love with a faux tree. It has so much snow on it you can't really decorate it except for lights. It is our secondary tree. We always get a real one, too, and sometime two real ones.

Fake tree Positives: free, non flamable. Can put up and take down anytime, Looks okay after eveything is on it.

Yes, but it is only once a year. Why settle for OK?

Negatives. Does not smell real and is not real. It still sheds fake needles like a real tree.

To me, the smell is paramount. IIRC they say memories around scents are the strongest memories.

Real tree positives: Is real. Smells good. Do not have to store.

That last one is major; they take up a lot of space.

Negative: Cost. Have to water. Will have to buy tree stand. Maybe bugs hatch out?

if it is up only 2 weeks (we put ours up 10 days before), depending on the tree and conditions, you may not need to water it that much if at all.

I think if you shop around you see very different tree prices. We go to the places that crop up for the season; trees there are much less than a nursery. Do you have any on your property? We did that one year when we had a tree I wanted to get rid of.

Maybe bugs hatch out?

Never ever once in the 25 years I have been buying trees.

We get two real trees, one 10ft and one 8ft. I like that they’re a little different each year. Every tree has had its own personality. We also have a smaller (I think 7ft?) artificial tree for the basement playroom. It’s a tricky space, so it’s easier to have something I know will fit. The artificial didn’t come with lights. It’s a pain to deal with them when the lights go bad, and I wanted flexibility. I like white lights on the real trees but wanted to use the big, old fashioned colored lights on the playroom tree, but i can change my mind and use white lights if I want to.

They're beautiful but I don't think real trees smell all that much (at least in my experience) so I'd never get one for that reason

That's interesting, I find the scent overwhelms the house!

Here's one con you won't get with a fake tree!

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2021/12/14/south-africa-snake-christmas-tree-lon-orig-mrg.cnn

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/13/australia/three-meter-python-christmas-tree-intl-scli/index.html

We once had a real tree that must have had over a miilion tiny spiders jump out when we brought it in. Our lesson to hose down and air dry the tree before bringing it in. Florida, we can do that. The spiders probably would freeze and die in northern climates.

Fake trees aren’t safe from critters. Did you see what this person found in theirs?

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8aE4bLH/

I always thought bugs from Christmas trees was a Southern issue but I have a friend who lives in Albany, NY and purchased an infested live tree. Before that she swore she would never get a fake tree but was so traumatized that she refuses to have another live tree.

I don't think it's common but it does happen.

mtnrdredux_gw, We live on a 90ft x 125ft in town lot. No extra trees to cut. Dad used to take us out in the woods to cut a cedar tree growing up. You cannot do that now. I thought about buying one that could be planted outside later, but we have no place for one, so the only choice is a cut real tree. Other than HD, Lowes, Kroger, or Walmart.the only choice is High Mountain Trees. They carry firs grown in North Carolina. I would not consider the big box trees. They are cut so far ahead of time, they are gone by the time you buy. The farms that can grow in North Alabama, use pines that they just trim to look like a Christmas tree. They leak sap everywhere and are okay, but are not what I want.

Get a real tree next year! Done!

I started celebrating Christmas when I married DH.He always have real and it a thing for to hunt down that perfect tree.

Las year we wound up in Florida for Christmas. Not exactly planned. For whatever reason we decided on an artifial tree. So easy. I just had buy ornaments. So…it was a very generic impersonal tree, but lovely none the less.

It has all kinds of different settings for the lights. Color, tie like etc. We had fun changing it up.

We have not had an artificial tree…yet. DH says ”never!” but I can forsee a time when, at the very least, someone will have to deliver the fresh tree and set it up, maybe even string the lights. But, if we are in that position, we might have an artificial tree…that someone would have to come get from the closet or basement and set it up.

Here’s a pro for fresh trees: every year creates a new memory.

The year we wore sweatshirts to the tree farm versus the year we brought our snowshoes.

The year the flies hatched (and were thankfully gone and vacuumed up by Christmas).

The year the tree was exceptionally pretty.

The year the tree fell over during Christmas dinner, and one girl’s date leaped up to grab it, and we lost only one ornament (he was unexpected, unnamed, and never seen after that night, but never forgotten!)

Our first year going to the tree lot at the house behind the tailor’s shop, and wondering why we had driven by for years and never stopped in. It’s now our destination, since all the local tree farms have been sold to developers.

I love the memories.

I was allergic to the trees when I was a kid, so we always got flocked, which helped a bit. Then the aluminum ones came out and we got one of those. We thought they were gorgeous, lol. Then, when I married a forester, he would cut one from high up in the mountains (where only certain species can be found) and it didn't bother my allergies. Since he died, my son, grandson and I go to a Christmas tree farm and cut our own. It's getting more difficult for me to put it up and decorate it, so I've considered going fake. But the most difficult part of decorating the tree is hauling the boxes of decorations down the stairs from the upstairs closet where they are stored. I'd still have to do that with a fake tree. AND I'd have to haul the fake tree, too. I do love having a real tree.

We've always had fresh, but this year I was afraid I'd have trouble watering (knee issues), so dh pulled the old 4' fake tree down from the attic. It was purchased on a whim in an after Christmas sale 15 years ago. The first few years it served as a second tree. Then I got tired of having 2 trees, so it stayed in the attic until this year. I strung it with multicolored LED lights and wrapped it with TJ's multicolored felted wool garland. No ornaments.

While I missed unwrapping ornaments and placing them on the tree, I have to admit I'm actually enjoying this change. Hopefully, I can go back to real next year. As for scent, I've found not all trees are created equal. My choice is a Noble Fir. Some years there's more scent than others.

TJ's cedar balsam candle to the rescue.

https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/cedar-balsam-candle-057561

@Judi I bought one of these a few years ago and it was a deal changer for watering the tree. I just install it in an inconspicuous place and leave it. You can water standing up, no mess, no spilling.

A good quality fake tree does not shed needles. We have two fake ones that Handy Guy helped me buy and bring home in his big truck. DH was never available to shop for or set up a real tree with me while he was working and our kids were away at school at very early ages. I use Thymes Frasier Fir scent in the rooms where our trees are set up. Not a perfect fix but….better living through chemistry. 🎄

Don’t know if this was mentioned…. A positive for a fake Christmas tree is that I am not allergic to it!

LOL, KSWL.

@bpath you are so right, every year the tree is different and every year there is an acquisition story that is part of the tradition.

We always had live trees and when we bought our first home we bought live trees with root balls and then planted them outside. DH dug the hole before Thanksgiving when the weather was still agreeable. The downside to a really live tree is that you can't keep it inside for very long if you want to plant it later.

Then we switched to regular cut trees and at some point I also bought a small blue spruce artificial tree for the living room. That way I could decorate the day after Thanksgiving and enjoy it longer. The live tree went in the family room.

When we moved here I bought a new artificial tree but we bring in cut fresh evergreens for the mantel which gives us the wonderful fragrance.

If you decide for a live tree I can recommend a fantastic tree stand - Krinner. We used it for many years and it's the easies, sturdiest tree stand around. I bought it at my local hardware store 15 years ago and now DS and his family use it.

https://krinner.us/collections/tree-stand

njmomma for years I would get deathly ill around Christmas. Horrid headaches, coughing, sinus infections, etc. I always thought it was stress. Finally my allergist noted that I had come to visit him around 12/20 three years in a row and asked about our tree. I am forever grateful to him.

I think I read about Krinner stands here several years ago and bought one. Game changer!! I love it!

maire_cate - That Krinner stand is the best! We’ll never use anything else. So easy!

Tree with nothing.

It's pretty.

This is our stand, Bowling’s Last Stand. I’ve heard about Krinner’s, this one will have to fail, firwt first.

Fake Neg: the tree looks the same year after year. When I look at pics of my childhood the Christmas tree was always different. It adds to the sense of time marching by. The pics of my children's Christmases all look the same because when my daughter was 6mos she and I went and bought a fake tree. I knew getting a toddler and DH out the door=-to get a real tree when I wanted was not going to happen and the idea of THAT frustration year after year was too much. Oh and between the tree and garlands I have PLENTY of fake needles everywhere!!

I also like the variety that selecting a real tree every year provides. Not just what it looks like in terms of shape, but as we have set it up in a couple of different places in the house over the years, we have looked for different attributes. It’s also been enjoyable to try different types of trees and note which ones we like better - some have softer needles, floppier branches, a stronger scent, a longer lasting scent, a pinier scent, or drop needles more or less. (Spruces, especially white ones, smell like cat pee if their needles are crushed. balsam firs are the most ‘traditional’ smelling). My favorite one ever was a concolor fir, which has a lightly citrusy aroma, great needle retention, strong branches and a gorgeous powdery blue-green color. I haven’t seen one at a Christmas tree place in years though.

Our main tree is a beautiful faux noble fir that we have owned for 25 years. The fresh trees we were buying before our faux tree purchase, would dry out so very quickly. I like our tree to be up for a few weeks, so a fresh tree was not working for us. A few days before Christmas we bring in bring fresh tree branches for our mantle.

I believe I will just stay with my current fake tree. I do like the idea to get some greenery or try to find a candle I like for scent. It does support my heavy ornaments.

Sherry, that is one huge positive for me, the support for larger, heavier ornaments. I can pretty much put any ornament wherever I want on our artificial tree. We are now on our 2nd artificial tree, downsizing to a smaller one a couple of years ago. Never regretted the decision for a minute. Like several others, I use the Thymes Frasier Fir scented candle when I want to sniff something like real scent. I can also go cut some eastern red cedar branches and put it in a jar for a little help.

Yes, i grew up with real trees except for a couple of years when we had that aluminum thing with the rotating illuminating lights.

We had the aluminum tree with the light wheel also! When I got married we had real but when I read about all the fire hazzards I went artificial and stayed that way.

I’m late seeing this post/question, but I thought I’d mention my past ER experience dealing with dropped Christmas tree pine needles. As they drop off the tree, they’re pretty darn sharp and hard. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times folks came in to our ER with pine needles lodged in their bare feet to be dug out. I’m actually allergic to pine trees and wreaths myself. I can’t touch them or I break out in hives, but because of what I used to see when working ER, I’d steer away from the real ones.

Lynn, this, plus Legos and pets and just my general preferences is why I wear slippers or house shoes.

My stylist was just telling me last week that he washes his artificial trees off with a hose every year. He mentioned they have lights in them. Maybe someone with an artificial tree can advise.

We have always had a real tree for pretty much the reasons others have mentioned but I can see the pros of artificial. We wouldn't be able to store an artificial tree And I have never heard of 1) Christmas Tree allergies or 2) Bugs emerging from real trees, so this discussion was an eye opener.

Every year someone is hauling their "real" tree to the dump after Christmas and it falls off the roof of their SUV, laying by the side of the road....we stop & pick it up....dispose of it chopped up in our garbage can. Fake is so much better. And you can buy them pre-decorated. JMO

Good pount about disposal. We live on the edge of many wooded acres, so roll it in there for the critters who might want the shelter.

I was always bemused because DD never especially liked decorating our tree, even as a kid. I have enjoyed it my whole life and DH gets a kick out of the lights part. We have an ornament for each of our pets and horses, and although I teared up placing Molly's this year, I'm hopeful that next year if I'm around to place it, I'll find some comfort in the tradition.

In all it’s fake glory. By the way the

I’ll never have fake son had a fake tree this year.