My favorite part of the Christmas season is grabbing a hot chocolate while picking out a real tree with my family. My brothers and I often make it a competition to who can find the best tree. Of course, I would always look for the biggest tree that could not possibly fit in our living room.
While a fake tree is practical and convenient, you cannot beat the smell of pine that drifts throughout your home. Having a fake tree for Christmas is like projecting lights for decorations. Sure, it gets the job done, but it’s just not the same as hanging up lights.
Having a fake tree sounds a lot easier until it’s time to find somewhere in your garage to place it for an entire year. If your family’s garage is anything like mine, it’ll take a whole year just to figure out where you put the tree.
As a college student, having a real tree was not possible so unfortunately, we had a fake tree which just solidified that real trees are better. Being able to see the plastic stick in the middle of the tree takes away from the decorations and doesn’t stop the ornaments from constantly slipping off the branches.
While throwing away a real tree after the holidays seems wasteful, it can be recycled into mulch, composite or used to create habitats. Purchasing a real tree helps support local businesses and communities.
As an Arizona native, I can confidently say our real trees never dry out before we get to open our presents on Christmas morning.
