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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask those who have artificial Christmas Trees...why?

203 replies

Loafingaround · 03/11/2016 16:25

our last house was far too small, so couldn't fit a christmas tree in there. Having moved into a house large enough to house a christmas tree ,we are finally getting a christmas tree this year. Ive grown up with my grandparents and parents both having real trees, which I know and smell utterly magical and festive, but the thought that these beautiful trees have grown (for approx 8-10 years for a 8" tree!) only to be used and worshiped for a few weeks- then turfed out half dying onto the pavement forgotten about- is also so so depressing and sad to me. It sums up so much wrong with the world in general... I just cant bring myself to buy a "real"tree so will be going artificial. Why do other people go fake? Can you recommend the best, real looking artificial trees and where you bought them?

OP posts:
instantly · 03/11/2016 16:26

Mines fake because I can't be arsed with the mess of needles.

cantpickusername · 03/11/2016 16:27

Mainly because I don't like finding needles all over the house for months after Christmas!

rainyinnovember · 03/11/2016 16:27

This reply has been deleted

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Garthmarenghi · 03/11/2016 16:27

Because the dog would piss up a real one

longdiling · 03/11/2016 16:28

Because a decent size and quality one has become quite expensive. About £50-60 a year. We got a nice big fake tree for £100 in the sales and I'm hoping it'll last a good few years. I always said I'd never get a fake one too!!

blibblibs · 03/11/2016 16:30

Mine is fake because I can't do the expense of a real tree every year and i can't deal with the lack of symmetry Grin
It's from homebase and it's a 7ft wonder but it is about 10 years old now so don't know if they're still as good.

Original poster
Loafingaround · 03/11/2016 16:30

rainy so you don't think that a tree that has grown for around a decade, is chopped down to be taken into a home , used for 2 weeks then discarded like a piece of rubbish lying on the street is not sad or depressing? Its this utter lack of any conscience or thought for anyone/anything else that is depressing.

OP posts:
OutrageousFlavourLikeFreesias · 03/11/2016 16:30

Because my MIL is allergic to pine trees and I want her to be able to come round for Christmas. For myself I'd prefer a real tree, but I'd rather have a fake one and MIL than a real one and not see her.

TheBarbersWife · 03/11/2016 16:30

We tried it one Christmas.the DD got endless fun picking the pines off it.I had less fun hoovering it up.so a fake one will have to do for another Xmas.I do miss the smell though

Flanderspigeonmurderer · 03/11/2016 16:30

My parents never had a real one, I don't think I missed out on anything. Our fake one is fairly realistic. I suppose cost is a factor for me, I don't want to pay for a new one every year. It's easy to get it out of the loft and put it away.

wibblewobble8 · 03/11/2016 16:30

lots of reasons

  • cant be arsed with needles all over the joint
  • cheaper in the long run
  • imo they look better
  • my tree comes in sections so i only put half of it so its flat to the wall so doesnt take up near as much room.
  • we've had ours for nearly 20 years so its actually got a lot of sentimentality attached to it.
rainyinnovember · 03/11/2016 16:30

Well I probably was a tad harsh there :) Sorry.

But - well, artificial trees cost a bomb compared to real 'uns. And I can't put them together.

WaitrosePigeon · 03/11/2016 16:31

Because I cannot be arsed with the mess - at all.

oldlaundbooth · 03/11/2016 16:31

Ours is fake because someone gave it to us for free.

That and the needles.

Oh, and I like trees.

You can get nice pine scented candles that smell like Christmas.

KarenLF · 03/11/2016 16:31

I'm the opposite from you - I've grown up with all my family having artificial trees and we only had a real tree for the first time last year when we stayed in a lodge. It was amazing and smelled great as you said but I prefer my black B&Q one honestly! But that's just me :)

ThymeLord · 03/11/2016 16:32

Yeah same here Garth Grin

JustHappy3 · 03/11/2016 16:32

I feel like you about the trees. Daft i know when i merrily buy flowers, display them in a vase for 2 weeks and then put them in garden waste bin.
It's the unpredictability of tree size for me. I need a tree that's tall (high ceilings) but not too wide at the bottom. So fake all the way.
Why don't you get a real one this year to celebrate the new place and then go buy a vastly reduced fake one on 26th when you're sure that's what you want and you've worked out what shape of tree you need.
B&Q trees are often as good as John Lewis

maddogs33 · 03/11/2016 16:32

A lovely bushy real christmas tree is actually really expensive. A lovely bushy pre-lit fake tree from John Lewis is slightly more expensive but lasts for years!!

I love real trees but I love the perfection of a fake bushy tree. DH and I compromise 1 fake 1 real! I get the bushyness, he gets the smell. We also disagree when Christmas starts my fake tree starts on the 1st of December his real Christmas tree the week before Christmas!

I would definitely check out the higher end of John Lewis Christmas Trees, we've had ours 6 years and its still going strong.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 03/11/2016 16:32

Needles.
I've never actually thought a real tree smells of pine
My fake tree was very expensive and looks real except it is perfectly symmetrical and I can bend the branches slightly so the decorations don't slip off

ChocolateButton15 · 03/11/2016 16:32

Because the one time we got a real one it was infested with millipedes. Never again!!!!

TheFarceAwakens · 03/11/2016 16:32

Garth my dog pissed up a fake one, wasn't the brightest!

For clean up reasons mainly- fake ones still seem to drop plastic needles but there are less to hoover up at the end of Christmas.

AllTheBabies · 03/11/2016 16:33

Because I've got little kids and a dog and can't be arsed with all the needles falling off everyone one of them shakes the tree. Also our living room is quite small so it would take up too much space. They are so expensive as well.

I do like a real tree though. Hopefully one day I can have one again.

LifeIsGhoulish · 03/11/2016 16:33

I don't like Xmas very much, I only do it because it is important to my dh. So I really do not want a bloody great needle-shedding tree in my house. Let it stay growing in the ground where it belongs! We have a small, twinkly tree, that gives enough festive season feel for dh, but doesn't take over my living room. Every year we save another tree (and £££) by reusing our little twinkler.

MaddyHatter · 03/11/2016 16:33

because they don't drop needles they're safe for the cats and they can be put away and got out year after year and they don't contribute to deforestation... or require disposing of.

And i agree with you about the throw-away sentiment.. i'm also emotionally scarred by a little story called the Christmas Tree which told the story of christmas from the tree's point of view Blush

We got ours from homebase.

sonlypuppyfat · 03/11/2016 16:33

I just got fed up of going to the garden center watching them getting more and more expensive