Real versus Fake Christmas Tree
The debate continues about a real versus fake Christmas tree. The history of Christmas trees reveal a long use of real trees. There are lots of us that grew up with a real tree. There are lots of people that grew up with an artificial tree.
I come down as an advocate for real trees. That is because we always had a live one for Christmas. There were years that we had a Norfolk Pine Christmas tree.
The other years I remember my sister and I lobbying for a real Christmas tree. The Norfolk pine was too close to a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. We typically had a Douglas or Frasier fir.
- Ooooh That Smell!
Does the debate over real versus fake Christmas tree need to go any further? The smell of a fresh tree when it gets into your house is great. Is there any wonder why they sell the little tree air fresheners for your car? Everyone likes the smell of a Christmas tree.
I know you can have plug ins, candles, or air spray to simulate a tree, but like everything else in life do you want an imitation or the real thing. The artificial smell does not measure up in my opinion.
- Economic Factors
Many will cite the cost savings of having a fake tree. However the per dollar cost in the real versus fake Christmas tree debate often does not consider the environmental costs.
We typically throw our old real Christmas tree in the back yard on the fence row. It not only is a good place for decomposition, but it also provides a habitat for different creatures.
Wild Rabbit who loves old real Christmas tree
Now when you throw out an old fake tree it has to go to a landfill. If we examine the actual dollar cost than consider for the second year in a row we purchased a $15 dollar tree. It would take quite a few years to actually save me money by buying a fake tree.
- Originality
Since every real tree is unique than that means every year the tree has it’s own impression. While looking at my bare tree in the house this year it looks completely different than the one last year. To be fair one was a pine and the children picked a cypress this year.
The real versus fake Christmas tree reason three goes to the real tree again. You can only change the fake one so much year to year. The real one has the originality factor.
- Family Tradition
What better Family Tree than going out to a tree lot or farm and picking out your tree. For two years in a row my children have found a praying mantis egg sack and brought it home. It serves as an educational lesson and beneficial insect predator.
The final factor clearly declares a real tree the winner in the real versus fake Christmas tree debate in my eyes. A chance to be outside with my children learning and admiring versus opening a box and assembling wins out every time.
It would be interesting to see what my three readers think. feel free to weigh in and let us know what your favorite is!