There are two types of people in this world: those who put up real Christmas trees and those who put up artificial Christmas trees. I am the type of person who puts up a real Christmas tree. Growing up we always had a real Christmas tree. However, I think that even if I didn't grow up with real Christmas trees that I would still be putting up a real tree every year. The allure of a fresh, vibrant evergreen festooned with Christmas bobbles is hard to resist. Not so with a fake tree. They have no heart, no song. A fake tree never stood beneath the stars, never sheltered birds from a storm, and never danced in the wind. There is no comparison between pulling plastic sticks out of a box and bringing a fragrant, lush tree in the front door. I love Christmas trees. They smell heavenly of sap and wild things and they bring a dramatic note of festivity to a home.
When I tell people how I feel about the real-verses-fake issue, the pro-fakes always note how messy a real tree is. They say that it drops needles all over the place. Yes it does, but that's okay. Life is messy sometimes. The second point made by pro-fakes is that by purchasing a a real tree that I am committing a major environmental sin. They think that by "killing" a tree my carbon footprint gets 2 sizes bigger. The truth is that purchasing a real Christmas tree is actually better for the environment than using a fake one. Christmas trees are a renewable resource. When a tree is cut down on a tree farm, another one is planted to replace it. Also, they don't require as much energy to manufacture, and they are biodegradable. I know that buying a tree every year is more expensive, but to me it is so worth it.
This weekend Ryan and I are going to go cut down our tree. We go to a local place that has many acres and scour the entire lot trying to find just the right one. It's always freezing, but it's so much fun! When we get home we'll spend the day trimming the tree, eating pumpkin pie and drinking hot chocolate. What could be better?
I like the idea of soon having pics of your XMas tree, and I fully agree on a real tree is bringing something different to the house
ReplyDeletenatchad, I like that idea as well, look for pics of my Christmas tree on my next post.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteWe are getting a tree next weekend , and of course it will be real. Please be sure not to use those fake icicles, they can really hurt the birds, after the tree is put outside, but the old tree can make a great bird feeder, just tie on things the birds can eat.
Patricia G.