I was wondering this as buying real ones yearly get sometimes pretty pricey
Real every time. I feel bad for the poor tree but nothing beats the smell of a fresh Christmas tree in December.
I use a real tree because I have cats that would eat the plastic one, and I feel that plastic trees are worse for the environment.
Aluminum pole. No tinsel. It’s distracting.
As an asthmatic, fake trees are the only way to go. The mold real trees have and produce as they die often cause croup cough among asthmatic. You only need croup for one Christmas before you figure out it’s just not worth it.
Artificial mainly because we spent a fortune on a good one like 10 years ago but I don’t have to shell out $150 for a new one each year. Plus it’s pre-lit.
Real. But I live in a pretty foresty area and just go to the neighbourhood farmer where I also get my eggs from and my poultry and it’s not pricey and goes into the fireplace once it’s dry enough.
Y’all put up trees every year?
I am surprised at how many artificial tree users there are. Way more than I expected.
I have mostly lived where I could just go get a real one from the woods if I wanted to, so I guess that gives me a bias. If I couldn’t have a real tree, I dont think I would want one at all.
I am not much into christmas, but the whole bringing a tree home with a connection to nature makes it worthwhile. Love the smell of a fresh tree too.
Never had issues with needles or bugs so I find that strange as well. I mean sure, the tree drops some needles at the end, but that is what the skirt is for. The few outside of that is just a single day of vacuuming that you would be doing anyways.
Same. This comment section is so bizarre to me.
I’ve always had real trees. I love the smell too much to go with a fake one. And I agree, there’s something magical and nostalgic about the whole process of picking out a tree, and tying it to the top of your car to take to your house. It’s part of the Christmas tradition.
Not sure how real this survey is, but they say 83% of households do a fake tree.
https://wror.com/2025/11/18/fake-christmas-trees-are-preferred-over-real-trees-by-a-big-percentage/
Wow. That’s crazy to me. What’s the point?
I assume because it’s cheaper and easier, but I was surprised to hear that too.
I am surprised at how many artificial tree users there are. Way more than I expected.
I am not much into christmas, but the whole bringing a tree home with a connection to nature makes it worthwhile. Love the smell of a fresh tree too.
Also the whole no microplastics being generated thing. You’d think that since that discovery was made people would be quicker to choose non-plastic and yet here we are.
We always had an artificial one growing up, but if I ever buy a Christmas tree myself I’ll buy a real one.
I can’t put a full sized tree up no matter what because of a bad kitty.
I used to put a fake one up so I didn’t have dropped needles and when it gets dry it is a huge fire hazard.
Doesn’t feel like Christmas without the smell of a real tree. I go out back and cut a small one.
When I can, I get a real tree. After Christmas, I trim all the leaves and branches off the trunk and put those in the municipal compost bin. I then put the trunk in storage and let it dry out for a year or two. Once dry, I’ll carve them into things like walking sticks, wizard staffs, etc.
That’s fucking rad
Thanks! Here’s an example. That’s me on the left, my husband on the right.
I made both that walking stick and wizard staff from old Christmas trees. And a close up view of the staff:
Sickkkk. How long do they take to make?
The walking stick was an afternoon project. Just carve, sand, and stain. The staff was a lot harder, specifically the tines that wind around the crystal. I made the staff off and on for several months. I built the tines up by cutting out thin strips of wood. Then I glued them together, laminating the tines up one layer at a time. Once they’re built up, I carved them into a smooth shape and filled in cracks in the epoxy. The amethyst is affixed into the socket I carved with epoxy as well.
I could have made the staff faster if I was really pushing it out. But just the time to glue it up would still require about 2 week to make.
Name checks out
Artisanal! I love it!
Neither, I have a 5 foot tall Gumby instead. It was a carnival prize and is wrapped in lights and decorated with smaller Gumbys, Pokeys, Blockheads, Prickle and Goo. No Nopey though.
When I can be bothered (not often) I get a real one. The smell is amazing, it looks great and the imperfections and variations make it look much nicer. Oh, and the best bit? When I take it down I get to take it to the goat farm down the road - they go absolutely fucking nuts for fir trees.
I just hire someone to stand in the corner after I cover them in lights.
Oh Christmas Troy, oh Christmas Troy…!
Never bothered with putting a tree up, but I’ve always kinda wanted to steal this idea:
I gotta say…
This was a triumph.
I’m making a note here: “huge success”
It’s hard to overstate my satisfaction.
