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

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I loved real trees as a child but have had an artificial tree for the past few years as so much easier when you have small children and cats!

Real, even thought they make a mess dropping needles everywhere - there's something special about going to choose it and the smell!

I love real Christmas trees with all this special magic it brings to home.Love the fragrance of real Christmas tree,the proper one.Unfortunately most trees now don't have this fragrance.

Always had real as a child. Used to have real myself (even in a bedsit), but Ds has s mid-december birthday. And so nothing starts for Christmas until the day after. After 2 years of finding only tiny, huge or mega-expensive ones left we have switched to a fake. And pine essential oil

I have a fake one for convenience as we spend some of Christmas at my mum's, but I would prefer to have a real one.

Has to be a real tree and has to be bigger than me. It just wouldn't feel like Christmas without one

I would like a real one however I much prefer our fake one as I would never remember to get one each year :(. I have our tree up from the middle of November too so I would need to wait with a real one

Love the idea of a real one but they are hard to manage and messy so we'll still with our artificial one.

We love a real tree but have had a fake one in the past & it's in the loft just in case!

love real but too expensive to use just for few weeks before binned.
So unless i win or am given one i fake it

I would love to have a real Christmas tree - unfortunately on the one occasion we got one, my husband was severely allergic and we had to evict the tree outside into the back garden. So now we have an artificial tree.

real tree, love the look feel and smell of real trees- however this year we are going away at christmas so we are not having a real tree its not worth the expense, not even sure f we wil put up a tree!

It has to be a real tree. The aroma of the tree sets the scene for an idealic Christmas

With a dog and a toddler - it has to be fake (less mess!) plus I think the real ones add on another expense at Christmas that we could do without every year (we have two trees as well) - however, I actually do prefer a real tree - maybe when our son is a bit older we'll have one real and one fake :)

I've never had a needle problem - the tree gets a couple of pints of water every day in the tree holder base thing and it's great. Of course, it goes up mid December time and is down about the 2nd or 3rd....none of the 6 weeks of tree nonsense

Real Christmas tree. We tried a fake one a few years ago and really missed the smell and uniqueness of a real tree.

Much as I would like a real tree, we go artificial - when I can manage to keep a real one alive after Christmas then I'll get a real one; I've got a potted one before, but it still died. I can't cope with the guilt of killing christmas trees!!

A Fake tree - easier with pets and young children, no loss of needles and the amount of decorations on the tree hides most of it.

I love christmas - so its a bit of both - a real tree in the living room for the scent and the traditional feel, but 3 fake trees throughout the house. However, we had a cat who used to think it was fun to hide in the real tree - needless to say, by christmas eve - most of the needles were on the floor and we spent the whole christmas picking up the baubles... it was a miracle - she wasn't electrocuted ... I spent the whole holiday imagining a scene from 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'

We've always had a fake tree. A real one just seems like too much hassle and with two cats would probably be a nightmare!

I'm all about the fake Christmas tree - I can't be doing with pine needles everywhere! Plus you only have to buy a fake tree once, so it saves you money!

Real tree here - I just love everything about them. I used to get an artificial one but I much prefer the look and smell of a real tree :)

I love a real tree, if we can afford one x

I prefer fake, it's less messy, no needle pines falling off, better for environment and I can use the same tree every year

Fake one as they come in a variety of styles and colours, plus they create less mess.