Question of the Day - Sunday, December 17th, 2023

[casportpony]

Do you prefer a real or an artificial Christmas tree?

I prefer a real one.

 

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

Artificial. Real Christmas trees are wonderful (they smell like heaven), but are a super big fire hazard where we are, since we have a Wood stove. You also have to put them up pretty late.

 

[Sally PB]

Hubby's family used to get a live, potted tree, and then plant it in the spring. When we visited his mom the first time as boyfriend/girlfriend, he pointed a row of pine trees out, saying, "That was 1972, 73, 74, 75..."

We kept up that tradition for several years. We had many of the trees die. They wouldn't have made it, no matter what; their main taproot was chopped off. How a nursery could sell them as "living trees," I don't know.

You are limited in buying to what you can physically move when you buy a live tree. Your selection (here in Michigan, anyway) is also very limited.

So we have a fiberoptic tree now. Very pretty, much safer too, since we have a wood stove and the air here is really dry. (22% rh right now.)

But I sure miss the Christmas tree smell...

 

[Summer_]

We've always used artificial ones (the same one, actually), but I'd like to use a real one some day

 

[MGG]

Artificial. Live ones are pretty but they're too much work, and they don't last long enough. We like to put our tree up at the beginning of advent and don't take it down until February 2nd, the feast of Candlemas.

 

[Evadig]

Live

We don’t put up our tree up till Christmas Eve and take it down after February 2, Candlemas like @MGG said. They’re a pain to take down but at least it’s not a tree made in China decorated with my great grandmother’s Polish ornaments.

I do have a fake tree from when we were in a hotel for a longer period of time (second picture).

 

[igorsMistress]

We prefer live trees. Due to cost and my husband’s limited physical ability we got a fake one last year. I miss the smell of the live trees a lot, but the ease and convenience of a pre lit fake is nice.

I agree the fire hazard with live trees is always a concern, and our humidity is extremely low. Keeping it watered doesn’t help much.

 

[GreenJay]

Prefer - live.
Have - dinky battered artificial

 

[GreenJay]

Live

We don’t put up our tree up till Christmas Eve and take it down after February 2, Candlemas like @MGG said. They’re a pain to take down but at least it’s not a tree made in China decorated with my great grandmother’s Polish ornaments.

I do have a fake tree from when we were in a hotel for a longer period of time (second picture).View attachment 3707426View attachment 3707427

Bubble lights!

 

[Brooks_]

I prefer a real tree, but use a fake one now.