Real Vs Artificial Christmas Trees

Opinion Series

Vote: Is it Real?

While you're contemplating if the tree's real or not, I'll do my write up.  Here was my Christmas tradition.  Every year, my family would send up the smallest member (that was me) into the attic to bring out the fake Christmas tree.  Fake limb by fake limb I would toss down the plastic branches from that itchy-insulated room.

Now mind you, I was excited, and kudos to Mom & Dad for celebrating (they're from India), but between slotting the right branch into the right hole of our "tree trunk" and smelling the pine of real Xmas trees outside the mall, I've always been biased toward real trees.

Now comes the green issue.  Which is better for the environment?  We used that artificial tree for decades.  Now these guys are made from PVC a petroleum based compound, they do jazz it up with a little lead, and it is generally shipped from overseas, but they do get reused over and over.

Real trees.  They are cut down yearly, and there are transportation costs to the mall, both from the trucker and the buyer.  But they're chopped down from tree farms, and you can't beat that experience of picking out a real tree.

Vote: Is this Tree Farm Real? (Just Kidding)

Just this humble blogger's opinion, what's yours?

-Sanjiv

I heard about 'renting' a real tree (roots and all).  Might be a good solution.

Comments

[SD]

Just keep in mind when writing blogs on Christmas, that the use of X is VERY offensive to some.

[Kendra Ott]

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I had no idea. I will make the adjustment. Thanks again

[SD]

Thank you for your understanding, it's much appreciated.

[Chris]

The trees they are making nowadays are more eco-friendly than ever before, and of course being able to use them for years afterwards they make more sense from a financial point of view. With the farms you never really know what sort of pesticides and other chemicals there are using, but with artificial trees this is not something you need to worry about.