Does anyone buy a real Christmas tree anymore?

[Doughnuts68]

Does anyone buy a real Christmas tree anymore?

Yes. To me it is Christmas - the rituals and the smell and the lights glowing. When we were really broke and I was about 16 my mum asked me what was really important to me about Christmas and I said I'd rather have the tree than presents or a big meal. They weren't as expensive back then tbf.

Always

Absolutely - it's become a yearly treat since moving where we are - we go to the farm, wander round discussing the relative merits, then flag down a dude on a quad with a chainsaw who cuts it for us. Then, we pray we can fit it in the car to get home - all part of the experience :)

I like the smell, the cats like drinking the water out the base, we get different shape ones so we can think back to the little round Christmas tree year or whatever, and yes, it's more expensive (gone up to 60 quid this year!), but it also supports a local business, who employ a pretty large number of 'elves' from the locality too - vs. getting a cheap one from Ikea, or a plastic one from China.

And at the other end, the chickens get a new toy, and when they've denuded it, I burn it on the fire and keep warm - so everyone wins.

Yes. There’s only been about three years in 34 Christmas celebrations that my little Predecorated M&S tree has been the only offering.

Absolutely, yes.

Yes we have one every year. Sometimes I get carried away and get a massive one that will barely fit in the room. It isn't the height you see, it's the breadth! I buy it around the 12th December so it stays green right up until Twelfth Night. You can't beat the smell and the cats love it. The only downside is the pine needles which always seem to get everywhere when it gets taken off for recycling in January. The local council shreds recycled trees into chippings so it's better for the environment than a plastic tree.

Plastic isn’t evil. The problem is that if you have plastic water bottles or bags that could be potentially used thousands of times and people use them once and toss, it’s a huge problem for the environment in the same way that using thousands of paper bags isn’t good for the environment either. So, a plastic tree that is used for decades can be a better choice than wasting petrol driving to pick up a real tree every year. There are just too many factors to be able to properly compare.

Anyway, to answer the question, we have a fake tree, but we have nowhere to put it this year, so I’m not sure what we are going to do yet.

www.countryliving.com/uk/homes-interiors/interiors/a29695669/rent-christmas-tree-cotswold-fir/

Real tree, real - i.e. live - candles. So obviously doesn't go up until Christmas eve, and well watered throughout.

DH is allergic to them so no

Yes, we always have a real one.

I love a real tree. All the plastic trees are just trying to look like a real one. They can never be better.

Yes! Ritual here too. The children love the choosing a tree day!

Yes, every year. I love the smell of pine. Plastic ones just aren't the same.

After xmas it dries in the wood shed, and is sawn up to add to the log pile. Nothing is wasted.

Yes real. There’s a small Christmas tree farm 15 mins away, so we buy locally too

Yes.

yes always a real one! I love that they are never perfect, the smell, I love buying the real tree.

Yes, and judging from bin day after Christmas when the council send round the green waste van for its one off trip in Winter, so do about 10% of our street.

I like a real tree, but our artificial one will be having its 25th appearance this year and I can't see why it should keep going for another 25 years.

Every year. Going to the farm with DH and picking our tree is one of my favourite parts of Christmas.

Yes, always. I wouldn’t know where to store an artificial one.

Yes we already have our slot booked at the local Christmas tree farm for 27th Nov.

It's part of our family tradition to go and pick the tree. All 3 teen DCs are coming too

Yes, we have one real one and then an artificial ones in another room. You need to use your artifical tree for 30 years for it to be sustainable. We bought ours when my ds was born so have got a few more years to go. It looks a bit dated already but I'm determined to keep using it.

Yes. I really dislike the look of fake trees and just wouldn't bother with a tree at all if we couldn't have a real one. Most people I know have a real tree.

Never not had a real once since an adult in my own home as we always had a fake one at home. So at least 25 years. I sometimes have two. However the tree is my absolute favourite thing about Christmas.

When people post their trees on the annual MN thread I love every one of them. All Christmas trees are perfect.