Real or fake Christmas tree? Share your opinions with Homebase for a chance to win a £300 Homebase voucher. NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

‘Tis the season once again. With Christmas on its way, Homebase is keen to get Mumsnetters’ views on the pros and cons of getting a real or fake tree.

Here’s what they have to say: “The Christmas tree is at the heart of everyone’s Christmas look but where do you stand on the annual dilemma - real or fake? Are you a fan of the fresh pine scent and traditional feel you only get from a real tree? Or do you go for a versatile artificial tree most years? Let us know if you go as far as ‘lights included’ or if your fake tree came already snow-tipped and adorned with berries and cones. Tell us all about your trees from over the years, whether you decide on authentic or artificial this Christmas and any tips you have on caring for real trees.”

So what do you think? Does the authentic smell of a real tree win you over? Or are smaller artificial trees better suited to your home? Do you get your family's much-loved tree out of the loft each year or is it a Christmas tradition to go together and choose one? Does real or fake really matter to you and your family?

Whatever your opinion, Homebase wants to know.

We’ll enter everyone who posts on this thread into a prize draw to win a £300 Homebase voucher.

Thanks and good luck.
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

I love the idea of having a real one but with two children two and under I find an artificial one more practical. Plus I love putting the tree up during the first week of December, usually on the first day of December and I can't see a real tree looking that good by Christmas Day if we put it up that early. Plus real trees are quite expensive if you want a decent size. In an ideal world in my dream home I would have one of each

As a child we always had a small real tree, a tradition I continued with my husband and first child, but now we have three children and cats and a dog we have an artificial tree.

I think we will have a real tree again in the future once the children are older though.

Love the smell of a real tree but the needles all over the car and the house put me off so it's an artificial tree for us. We binned our tree last year as it was looking rather sparse so will need to go tree shopping soon.

We have one real tree and 3 or 4 fake ones - we only live in a small house but the trees are the main part of our Christmas decorations. I have only ever not had a real tree twice and that was when I was living alone and away for Christmas. It's not Christmas til we've been out in the cold and wet to pick our tree!

Real - although every year I think this will be the year we go 'fake'. Can't bring myself to do it tho! We don't have masses of space but we buy a 5 footer & it goes on a table so looks quite impressive. Growing up we had real trees for many years but then had a fake one for a while - wasn't remotely bothered about that but very sentimental about decorations - we buy one or two new every year but j still have lots from when I was a child.

We get a real tree. I just don't think a fake one is Christmassy enough.

We used to get a real one (pre-kids) but they were such hard work - all the bloody pine needles! Now we have a fake one - but it looks quite real. I'm not into pink/ silver/ white trees - it needs to look like a tree. But I do love to dress it up with loads of tacky coloured lights, gorgeous baubles and tinsel. I don't like bows, or chic, minimalist trees.

We used to have a real one when the children were small - and our house was bigger - b4 the split. I didn't mind the needles dropping so much, but found it difficult arranging the branches how I wanted. We have an artificial tree now- they are so much improved, and knowing its stashed away means one less thing to worry about.

I love a real tree but we have had an artificial one for the last few years to save money. Also our Hoover is a bit rubbish so I couldn't face all the pine needles at the moment. I wish our tree would look glamorous like they do in magazines with bows and evenly spaced lights but it always ends up looking a bit amateurish and lopsided however much we fiddle with it.

We had a fake one when we lived in a flat with baby and toddlers.

Now the kids are older, and we have a bigger house, I like having a real one.

Once they are grown up and gone, I may just buy a Christmas wreath

It's got to be a real tree....potted so you can try to keep it in the garden for the next year.

A tree to me is a sign of life, and at Christmas 'life' is exactly what we celebrate, whether you are religious or not. It's all about the smell of fresh pine with a real Christmas tree, and they look less rigid than artificial trees. What I also like about real trees is that you don't end up putting up your tree too early. 2-3 weeks is long enough.

I have a soft spot for blue spruce trees. The thick needles, the slightly silvery tinge giving it that wintery/frosty look, and the scent is just divine.

Even now I'm all grown up my mother, whenever I celebrate Christmas at my parents' house, will wait for me to arrive so we can decorate the tree together. We have silver coloured glass baubles which belonged to her grandmother, and are very much treasured; the favourite being the bell with a clapper (as opposed to the modern ones without the clappers).

This year Christmas is at ours. No glass baubles shall be present (young cats), but there will still be a tree. A real one.

It's really hard to decide every year o go for something different. My heart says real tree my head (purse strings) says fake. I think we may have 2 this year one in front room and one in dining room [santa]

Artificial in our house. Less mess. We got a gorgeous new one last year as the previous one was 19 years old. Felt a bit emotional throwing it out as it was our first tree bought on our first Christmas in our first house. Daft I know. Good memories xx

Having a real tree is part of the Christmas ritual for us. The needles do get into the carpet, but we wouldn't have it any other way...

you can't beat the smell of a real Christmas tree, walking in after being shopping or working...beautiful...it what makes Christmas for me the going to pick it as a family to decorating it...love it....love chrsitmas

We usually travel to PIL overseas so have always had a fake tree - I wouldn't want to leave a real one up while we are away as it is such a fire hazard. And taking down the tree on 18 December before we travel is just not palatable somehow.

However this year we are spending Christmas at home and one of the things I am very excited about is the prospect of a REAL tree!

When I was younger, my parents (who were very eco before their time) would have a potted real tree that we would then plant after Christmas in various places. One of the trees was planted in their garden and is now about 50 feet tall.

After years of trudging to the shop/garden centre trying to fix the tree on to the car, trying to get it inside the house, finding a bucket to put it in and cleaning up the discarded pine needles every day, to say nothing of dismantling it on Twelfth Night and wishing the dustmen would collect, what joy it was when the children left home and we could make the final decision. We bought a 6 ' fake tree, with stand and packed in a cardboard box, and have had it for over 20 years - sheer bliss, and nobody can tell the difference. We put pine trees in the fire so that we have the proper smells and everyone (including DH) is blissfully happy. What's not to love?

I love the perfection of a fake tree! Perfect size, shape and bushyness. With everything else going on at Christmas I have neither the time nor the patience for trying to track down a real tree that meets my standards.

Fake - can't be doing with the needles of a real one! I do miss the smell though

I always have an artificle tree, less hassel no needles dropping.better for environment,no having to get rid of it after xmas.

we had real for years until we were so disappointed with them.
I buy a nice scented candle to make up for the lack of real fir smell now

Real for me. I love the scent of a proper tree that gradually starts to make the house smell Christmassy.

We get ours from a local very rural place that grows and cuts them. You choose your fresh-cut tree from a range of sizes, and we spend ages choosing for size and shape, then it's bagged and driven home, the person in the rear pressed to one side by bushy branches, and its spike prodding the person in the front seat.

It stays on the patio to keep fresh till Decorating the Tree day feels right and then we struggle to get it into its stand.

They are so fresh they don't usually drop too much, though I do seem to find needles of many years' vintage lurking in unfamiliar places.

By the day after Boxing Day, we strip it, wrap each decoration (some nearly 40 years old and quite tatty now) in paper, tie a rope round the trunk and drag it to the garden centre opposite, which recycles them.

No fake tree could ever be the same.

Fake for me - every time. Easy, economical and you can put it up as early asyou like without fear of all the needles dropping out before Christmas!

I dont get the real christmas tree thing - everyone goes on about the smell but I can't smell anything.

We always get real as DH insists but I dont understand the fuss...

For me, it's like the difference between having real or fake flowers in your house. You don't need to water artificial flowers, or throw them out, and the real ones either and die, but that's part of having them in the house. They are a sort of link between inside and outside, and even convincing replicas will only ever be decorations rather than nature in the home.