Christmas Trees

southerndave

First off I hate discussing this so early in the year as I think it kinda kills the spirit of the seasons to be planning the next without enjoying the one we are in. But this year we have a bit of a dilemma and you MSE are clearly influencing my thinking as I think now is the time to resolve it!

We have had a plastic life-like tree since my wife and I got together. In the beginning it didn't matter much as most Xmas's where spent either at the pub or with family elsewhere. Once our son was born, we decided to keep the plastic tree as it was a) there and b) 'safer' for young ones without needles and less hassle.

As the years have gone on, however, and my son is growing up fast I am acutely aware that he is unaware of, well, that Christmas tree smell!

We live quite close to some of the largest Christmas tree farms and I am now debating if this year we should ditch the plastic tree, which although has served us well for nigh on 16 years is getting a bit worn and go for a real tree instead?

Money wise, its daft. The real tree will cost about £30-40 I guess and will ultimately be binned. The fake tree owes us nothing and will cost nothing. On the otherside, we are fairly minimal in our possessions and I also slightly begrudge storing this tree for 11 months to use for 1.

And of course, there is the smell of Christmas.

So what would you do? What do you do? Real or fake? No cost or ongoing cost? Storage or disposal?

I need your wit, wisdom and opinion......


:xmastree:

marleyboy

The sentimentality alone on your fake tree, would be reason enough for me to keep it. We have the same tree, but each Year we buy a new ornament for, its custom made with the Year and family very much the theme.

We now have four ornaments of sentimentality, along with the usual collection of baubles and tinsel. As you can imagine our "fake tree" is very much the central pillar of the traditional tree and should hopefully live on for decades.

Crowdpleaser

Fake here.

I just cant justify the cost of a real one although I love the smell.

I have better things to spend my money on over chrimbo x

emiai

We use a fake one, and each year I go into a charity shop and buy a few new decorations. I like the idea that they have been around for other happy occasions.

I refuse to buy new when there are some gorgeous cut prize sentimental decorations around that used to mean something to someone - and now will mean something to us.

Westywoodpecker

I do love a real tree. It just would not be Christmas without my DH spending hours in a temper attempting to get it to stand stright in it's stand :rotfl:

Then there's the worry of the cat climbing it, along with getting a stray needle in your foot if you've no slippers on.

One year the damn thing fell over in the middle of the night setting the burgler alarm off.

We do recycle it though as it eventually gets burnt on the chiminea on a coooler summer night.

No, a real tree all the way in the Westy house!

carlamarie_2

Even when living at home with my parents, I have never had a real tree, always artificial.

The past two years it's been my 5 foot one on the sideboard because of the fear my youngest ds and dog would pull over my 7.5 one (which I love more than I should, it's like a prized possession for me!) i was hoping for the bigger one this year but we've just got another puppy so it looks like the smaller one again

On saying that, one year when the kids and dogs are older, I vow I will experience christmas with a real tree. Because everyone needs i experience it once I believe

wifeforlife

IMO you should definitely go for the real tree, you clearly feel strongly enough about it, and Christmas is nothing if not for tradition, memories and sentimentality!

We have a fake, but that's because we needed a slim tree, in our next house I'll keep the fake but if I have space I'm also having a real tree.

Tiglath

No poll option for no tree at all?

marleyboy

Tiglath wrote: »

No poll option for no tree at all?

I think that is because the debate involves choosing between a Real or Fake tree, No tree at all is neither a fake or a real tree, its a whole new thread altogether.

ska_lover

Tiglath wrote: »

No poll option for no tree at all?

Yep, no tree here either

Pitsypoolisa

We've always had a real tree and they usually linger behind the garage going brown until our annual BBQ for hubbies birthday in August when it is thrown on the fire pit in the evening- boy do they go up quickly! However I stumbled across a Christmas sale in January and found a beautiful, real looking tree reduced from over £400 to £39. I can't wait to see if up and decorated, it's just a shame it won't smell Christmassy like a real one