Christmas tree poll: Live, cut, or artificial.

[LeeH]

Just wondering where the Pelicans fall in the great Christmas tree debate.

[VINMAN]

Cut! Never, never an artificial, no way!!

[gaijindabe]

Cut. Not exactly old growth. Basically grown like corn. I support our Canadian friends.

[Dave L]

Artificial and I cant even recall ever having a real tree at my parent place. Probably alergic to a real tree anyways.

[fastpat]

My wife and I made the trip to the live Christmas tree farm up Highway 17, west of Silicon Valley every year to cut our tree. The farms up there are set up to be perpetual growth farms. You're not killing a tree on them.

Now, with sufficient space, we're doing the live tree thing. They smell as good as cut, with the added benefit of being an addition to the wooded growth on our, or your, land. We had a Colorado Blue Spruce last year,and may do another one this year.

Fake trees, blech!

[fastpat]

Originally posted by procon
Pat,

Pleased I'm not the only one who goes for a live tree. Although I only have one every other year, my Son & I re-plant it before he has to return to Ca. just after the New Year.

Yessir, and that's why I bought a Tommygate for the truck, I nearly ruined my ulnar nerve offloading the tree. It had been raining for about four days, and I didn't see that it took three guys to get in on the truck, with only me to get it off. Sheesh, I'm too old for that, so it's lift-gate city now.

[on2wheels52]

Wife has gone to fake tree at home, at the shop I have an empty stand and tell people only those with the true spirit of Christmas can see it.
Jim

[Aerkuld]

We used to get the cut trees in SoCal as I really liked the smell, but now I have an (say it quietly) artificial tree. It's a very small tree as I don't have much space and it's really only there for the kids to put up, then eat the chocolate decorations off when they come over so it isn't worth the hassle of a real one. I think the kids still get a real tree at their Mom's, I'll ask them at the weekend.
My son used to laugh in California when we picked the tree up. Everyone was busy trying to tie them to the roofs of their SUV's, we'd roll the soft top down on the Sebring and stuff the tree in the back seat and we were off! No messing about.

[Grady Clay]

Each year we get a National Forrest permit and bring home a tree from the Rocky Mountain high country. A wonderful day-adventure for kids and dogs. The Forrest Service uses this to appropriately thin the trees. Of course the tree we bring home is never as “pretty” as one bought off a lot. It has far more meaning.

Best,
Grady

[Don Plumley]

Tree farm, cut it down ourselves.

[dd74]

Artificial for the living room. A little cut tree for the den. I can't deal with the needles after the tree's been sitting in the heat, drying out, for three weeks.

Plus, they go up like fireworks if given the chance. I don't care how much water they're given.

[cool_chick]

One that can burn a Muslim.

[Joeaksa]

For many years we always had a live tree. After Christmas it was planted somewhere on the property.

Between living in the desert where evergreen trees are not natural and being gone so much, its an artificial here. As far as the title "plastic and perfect" goes, thats BS but it works for now.

Edit, one thing that I do miss is the European tradition of using real candles on the Christmas tree. Yes, real candles, with a flame on them, they are not left on all the time but only when you are in the room. Nothing like it and no its not for young kids or animals in a house.

[LeeH]

We bought our first artificial tree today. We always like to put up our tree on the early side, but it was hard to find the gifts by Christmas due to the mounds of needles.

I have to say that fake trees have come a long way in recent years. It's really amazing. My only complaint is the lack of Christmas tree smell and the over abundance of pre-strung lights - 1100 lights on a 9' tree is a bit much.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

We have an artificial one but doubt we'll be setting it up this year - things are just too hectic.

[Joeaksa]

Jeff,

You have 20 days to go and no time to set it up? I am overseas and return on the night of the 20th, and mine will be set up...

[austin552]

[Jeff]

BOOOOOOO fake tree... Hooray beer.. er... I mean real tree.

[asphaltgambler]

We cut our own. Part of the Xmas tradition in our house is the trek out in the country to the tree farm.

Always a lot of fun, hiking out to one of the pastures to find just the right one, cut it down and drag it back to the family truckster.

The tree farm people have a very well organized deal going, have free hot or cold cider, snacks, other REAL home spun/made gifts, dogs are welcome and of course little kids who are amped up!!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

If you only knew. . . Not saying other people don't have hectic lives, but for one, my wife works in retail (this means not a day off from Thanksgiving through Xmas), I'm busy with a new promotion at work and possible relocation to contend with, running between L.A. and San Diego constantly, etc.

Right now we need less aggrivation and stress in our lives, not more. As such, we'll limit ourselves to a few small things, open a couple of small gifts and that's it. Having a big elaborate production does nothing but make the overall "holiday" thing a net loss instead of a net gain. You're supposed to leave it feeling refreshed, happy and grateful for a little quality time with those you care about. Beyond that, it'd just be another pain in the ass and we've mutually decided it simply isn't worth it. Not being a scrooge, just being realistic.