The pros and cons of a real versus artificial Christmas tree

As Christmas is about a month away, it’s time to start thinking about the festive essentials. Gifts, decorations, eggnog, stocking stuffers, holiday coloured Rice Krispie Squares and of course,  Christmas trees.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree (see what I did there!) You often come with the age old battle of which is better: real tree vs fake tree. 
To help you,  I’ve compiled a list of pros and cons to make your decision of real or fake easier! 

Why you should get a real tree

You get the authentic Christmas tree smell. The fresh outside air while you’re cutting it down, the smell of the sticky sap as you’re arranging it in your living room making sure it’s just right, and the lasting smell of pine throughout the Christmas season. It’s better than any candle or air freshener you could ever buy. Why? Because it’s real.

Also, with a real tree you get to create memories. Whether it be going to the tree farm to cut the tree down with the fam jam, enjoying the horse drawn carriage rides and campfire hot chocolate, or going to your neighborhood garden centre and picking the fullest pine on display.

Besides, it sure beats going to a department store and wrestling with crazed holiday shoppers to pick the least destroyed one off the shelf, or crawl through a dusty cramped attic to pull down the decrepit fake tree you’ve had for decades.

Having a real tree just makes the holiday spirit more authentic. Its not just some imposter, some stand in; it keeps with the holiday tradition. What do you think they used back in the old days? A fake tree? No. They went out and cut down their own tree, made their own decorations, and ate the food they grew and harvested.
By using a real tree to celebrate Christmas, you’re holding true to tradition. 

Why you should get an artificial tree

Those. Darn. Pine. Needles. You get the pine needles falling everywhere. And believe me when I say this; it is nearly impossible to clean them up as fast as they fall. With fake trees, you don’t need to worry about the torrential downpour of needles if you accidentally hit a branch after a few weeks of being cut down. With a fake tree you don’t have to worry about irreplaceable, antique ornaments crashing to the floor as those pine needles fall. It saves a lot of tears and cleaning up in the end. 

Additionally, for those of you who prefer consistency,  you can have the same tree forever.
Skip out on the worry of getting to the tree farm at just the right time of year so you can get the best tree there, or taking time out of your busy schedule to plan a road trip to find that pine. You can just climb up (or down) those stairs, grab the box, and station the tree right where you want, in a process that may not even take an hour.

Artificial trees, unlike real trees, need constant watering. Whereas a fake tree, you just have to set it up and leave it alone until you take it down again. Easy peasy! No hassle, no getting trapped under those branches, and no worrying about breaking those aforementioned priceless ornaments. Simply put, the pro to having a fake tree is that it’s just easier. 

There you have it folks! A list of pros and cons to assist you in the choosing of a real or artificial Christmas tree this holiday season!