Real tree Vs artificial tree? Is it a status symbol?

[CatsWhiskers1976]

Just putting up our artificial tree and having some thoughts.
At work the other day we got to discussing Christmas trees, and the old real vs artificial debate. It seemed to me that there was a bit of 'snobbery' against those who had artificial trees (maybe that's just where I work!). There were those who said artificial trees were just TERRIBLE for the environment. Given that most people I know have had their tree for many years (our family one was about 40 years old before it was replaced) is this really true? Cutting down live trees is okay for the environment? I have never had a real tree, growing up I didn't know anyone who had a real tree and in our circles it was usually only the slightly more well off people who ever had real trees. Apologies if this offends anyone, it was just my experience as a child growing up in working class Scotland.
Some people at work looked horrified at the thought of having a 'plastic' tree (mind, they were going off to cut the perfect one down on their 'estate').
So what do you think? Real Vs artificial? I spent a fair bit a few years ago to get a really nice realistic looking artificial tree which I hope will last years. At the time we had cats and I was afraid they would get hurt/never leave the real tree alone so I have stuck with artificial.
What does everyone else have? Do you judge people with fake trees?

I grew up with an artificial tree always. My neighbour (who we were very close to and spent a lot of time with) always had a real one. Seemed like a big deal. No one I knew other than that had a real one. I wanted a real one every year but my
Mother wouldn’t give in yet. Mainly because of the effort involved in real trees and because she likes to put it up early but has in more recent years since I moved out!

Admittedly I do have an artificial one now whilst my children are young. It’s a lovely one and on its 6th year I think! Almost looks real but it’s not obviously. It was quite expensive.

Mil always turns her nose up as she’s always had real trees. She isn’t upper class or anything, just likes a real tree.

Artificial trees can look lovely! Especially when you pay a little extra for a good one. I had a cheapo from Argos once and it was a terrible shape and quality!

Working class and always had an artificial tree. But we would always get a long-lasting, good quality tree. I think my parents have only changed theirs once in my entire life and it still looks good as new.

I must admit I find the needle drop not bad at all if you water it well. We have wooden floors though - would probably feel differently on carpet.

Getting it delivered has been a game changer - no hauling it in the car and worrying if it'll fit. Delivered to front door and goes with garden waste in the new year.

We had a few artificial trees at work for many many years. It tends to gather so much dust and whatever else. The smell is just revolting. It brings me no joy looking at a pile of lifeless plastic.

My parents always bought cut trees when we were little. I remember standing in front of one that reached all the way up the ceiling and wondered if I could climb all the way to the top and actually touch the ceiling.
It’s so sad to see a tree dying and it’s such a faff to get rid of. Dying needles everywhere on the carpet and inside the car during the tip run. It’s such a depressing sight. Needles used to get stuck inside the carpet and the only way to remove them was using a tweezer. Nightmare!! But it’s all part of the fun.

This year I got a container grown fir. Noble fir, nordman fir and Fraser fir are all good choices. Small enough for the kids to decorate it themselves with a little step. No more hoovering up needles!

I am yet to find out if it will survive the Christmas period and in the garden till next year 🤞

No, I don’t think so. To have a real tree you also need a very cold house!

I'm allergic to real trees so have an artificial one. I've had it for 14 years and will most likely have it for years yet.

An artificial tree may last forty years but it’s probably going to take several hundred to breakdown in landfill,

I prefer real ones. Middle class. I like the higgidly piggledy short and fat ones. Real ones look too perfect. Though I have a 3ft fake silver tinsel one in my bedroom with bright gaudy baubles for a retro vintage look

I don’t give it a 2nd thought! Each to their own. As a kid I had an artificial tree but now I always buy a real one as I love the smell.

Very working class childhood, both parents left school at 14 and that was normal, both had multiple low paid jobs simultaneously for a lot of my youth, especially around Christmas etc. We always had real trees.

DH and I from an outside perspective live a fairly middle class lifestyle, both have more than one degree, MA/MSc/Phd etc, period home in a nice part of town, lovingly restored the original features, DS goes to an excellent local Montessori, we are comfortable financially, enjoy theatre and the arts blah blah. Our tree is artificial, we tried several times to have a real one but our cat is an utter nightmare and repeatedly climbed/attacked/knocked them over,the shows no interest in an artificial one cat snobbery so it's just much easier.

DH and I both have working class backgrounds. We both grew up in the 80s/90s era of artificial trees and those springy foil ceiling decorations.
We've had a real tree ever since we started spending Christmas at home, and not going away to visit family. We're the only ones in our entire combined extended families that have a real tree.

I prefer the look of real ones as the branches are more spread out. I do hate the fact that it dies, so this year we are hiring a potted one from somewhere local. I also won't be bringing it home until the 18th. That's just the right time to get the decorations up in my opinion. Plus it gives me less opportunity to kill it. It'll be returned on New Year's Eve (I like it all gone and the house clear for NY).
This will be our last real tree though as we're away for Christmas next year. We have an artificial one in the loft, so that will come down to give the DC a feeling of festivities.

Staunchly middle class

Always had an artificial tree complete with tinsel and coloured lights

I'm an unashamed snob! I judge you for your plastic tree the same way I judge you for your plastic flowers, your plastic garden furniture, your plastic sofa, your outlandish plastic tits, your plastic windows and your plastic Corinthian columns that flank your plastic front door. They're all hideous. But I'm not honest enough to actually tell you this other than via an anonymous forum

Aunty - I think your my mum

I’ve overheard her whisper about my plastic windows

However I don’t have columns and I’ve not heard of anyone having a plastic sofa before 😂

Plastic here - cats are less interested in chewing and climbing it than a real one.

Ex council estate, very much working class here.

A real tree ALWAYS.

My lovely late DM thought artificial ones were "common!"

I don't think that but for me an artificial one is just not Christmas.

It's all down to the memories.

Going to buy it, get it home then try and fit it into the house are all rituals which make Christmas for me. Even the fact that DH has to stand in front of the car headlights twirling it whilst I check out the shape sat in the car as we have been out so long it is now dark.

I'm VERY fussy and DO judge those who buy the ones with really long tops!

We have both.. a 'good' artificial one that wasn't cheap, looks great but is huge and takes hours to assemble.. so some years we have real trees but only ever pot grown ones.. which then go out into the garden to grow!

This year we have just bought a blue spruce pot grown one, and after Xmas it will be the first tree in my DD1's new home :)

My gran bought a potted tree in 1951 and it is still alive (she's not) and huge!

I can't do cut trees at all because it saddens me to think they are dying in my house for my pleasure! (I don't have cut flowers for the same reason!)

Surely it's the size that matters not whether or not it's real?

MC and we have an artificial tree we bring out every year. Tried a real one once but as our lounge is on the first floor it wasn’t practical dragging a dead tree down the stairs in January. Tree snobbery and smuggery is daft.

I don't put a tree up of any kind. Never have.
Therefore i have no class.

We use a real tree if we are in the country, for the years we are away in another country for Dec, we use an artificial tree. Where im from originally, very very rarely do you get a real tree.

where do we stand on the "upside down" tree new-ish trend?

"Anyway, it's def more affordable for us to buy a real tree as a one off, for £20, than to drop £150+ on a fake"

They're waaaaay cheaper than that at Argos!

@MessAllOver

I can’t get my head round killing a perfectly happy tree to look after it for a fortnight before ditching.

This. Not a fan of the annual Christmas tree massacre. Seeing the corpses lining the pavements in January because people can't be bothered to dispose of them properly is a sad sight.

You do understand they're grown for this exact purpose?!

I have an artificial one, new this year to replace one which was about 8 years old. Decorations for the tree range from this year to over 20 years old. No theme or colour scheme. I dont like flashing lights though. Always set my lights to static.

Now I am not married anymore have also ditched the foil garlands that exh insisted on having everywhere.