Why Buy Real Christmas Trees Vs Fake Christmas Trees
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a tree standing in the corner of the living room, would it? Indeed, the tree is one of the most iconic aspects of the festive season. It’s always so nice to go down to the town centre to see the lighting of the Christmas tree, or take a drive around the neighbourhood and look at all the trees that are standing in people’s homes.
It’s been a tradition for a long time — in fact, there’s even evidence that people were using trees as decorations for thousands of years, though of course they weren’t doing so to celebrate Christmas, since Christianity hadn’t even appeared yet! The modern use of trees as a Christmas symbol dates back to the late middle ages when people in German would use trees during the telling of Christian stories. From there, it slowly developed into something more, to the point where people in Europe routinely put trees inside the homes during the festive period. The idea caught on in North America in the mid-1800s. And since then? Well, we’ve never looked back! It seems that as long as Christmas is around, then so will Christmas trees.
These days, there’s more than one type of tree you can get. You buy a real tree or a fake tree. Both fulfil the same objective, but they go about their business in different ways. When you get a real tree, you usually go through the process of selecting which tree you want to buy, getting it delivered to your home, and then getting to work on decorating it and making it look beautiful! When you buy a plastic tree, you usually just have to get the tree out of storage, put it up, and that’s it.
In this blog, we’re going to run through some of the key points of the real Christmas trees vs fake debate.
Real Christmas Trees
Real Christmas trees have a lot going for them:
We Love Christmas Trees
One of the main reasons why people love real trees rather than plastic trees is because, well, they’re romantic. It’s just not the same as getting a plastic tree out of the box year after year. It might require less effort, but it’s not magical — there just comes a point, usually by the second year, when you’re just going through the motions with the tree.
Getting a real tree, on the other hand, is a process that we can all get behind. It gets you out into the cold weather, where you and your family can be all wrapped up in warm clothing, looking for the perfect tree for your home. While this process requires more effort, that’s not a bad thing — in fact, it’s a good thing. If there’s one time of the year when it’s worthwhile putting in a little extra effort, it’s Christmas. It only comes around once a year, after all!
What usually happens is the process of picking and decorating a tree becomes a tradition that everyone in the family looks forward to. It’s one of the staples of the holiday season that people remember for years. And the tradition lives on — the people who went through this ritual when they were kids usually go on to create the same tradition with their family when they’re older. It’s a fun family activity, and who doesn’t want to have more of them in their lives? On the other hand, if you get a plastic tree, then there is no ritual. It’s not as romantic to climb into the loft and get down a box. You might still have a good time while you’re decorating the tree, but it’s unlikely to become a go-to memory that people cherish for decades.
They’re Natural
There are many things to love about real Christmas trees — the process, for one, and they’ve also all got their own character and imperfections. No two trees are the same. But then there’s another matter that gives these types of trees the edge over plastic ones: they smell great! When you bring a real tree into your home, you’re effectively bringing a slice of nature into your house, and that means you get to enjoy all the benefits of a delicious-smelling tree too.
Now, we’re not going to say that this is the only way to get the Christmas tree smell into your house. There are artificial sprays that you can buy, too. However, the fact of the matter is that these products are never as good as the real thing. If you value the sensation of walking into your home, seeing candles lit, a beautiful tree, and smelling the beautiful scent of that tree, then real is the only way to go.
There’s another benefit that is often overlooked, too — they’re better for the environment. A few years ago, people were told that plastic trees were better for the environment since the damage caused by cutting down the trees was affecting the natural world. However, this is not the case — it wasn’t really the case back then, but it’s even less so now. Today, trees are sustainable, and we view plastic trees as unsustainable; they’re made using plastic, often far away from the place where they stand, and it’s not as if they last forever. Most people replace their plastic trees every few years. One study suggests that plastic trees are around three times more damaging to the environment than their real-life counterparts.
Real trees can be recycled, and they’re also biodegradable. They can be ground up for mulch and put to use that way. Even if they’re not, they’ll just biodegrade — they won’t have a negative impact on the earth because they come from the earth. Also, these days it’s possible to replant Christmas trees!
It’s Better For the Economy
If you were ever to talk to the people that produce and sell trees, you’d learn that none of them are big business people. They do it because they have the space to grow the trees and generally love everything about Christmas! When you give them your business, you’re helping the local economy. And there are wider economic benefits to going to a local place to get your tree. When you’re out on the town, you’ll likely visit a cafe, buy presents, and all-around throw your money around in the local area.
When you buy a plastic tree, things are a little different. The tree will have been produced from many, many miles from where you’re going to put it up. All you’re doing is giving money to big businesses — and don’t they already take enough of our money?
In Favour of Plastic Trees
We’ve spent the bulk of the article talking about the many benefits of real trees over fake ones, but we’re not going to say that plastic trees are entirely without merit. There are reasons why people buy them, even if we think real trees are better, they do have their advantages.
For one, they can be cost-effective. While real trees and fake trees generally cost around the same price, you can reuse plastic trees — and if you take care to keep them in good condition, then you might find that they turn out to be highly cost-effective.
Another advantage is that they’re low maintenance. When you invest in a real tree, you’ll need to be prepared to vacuum up all the needles that fall off. When it comes to throwing away your tree, you could have a trail of needles all throughout your house. Since plastic trees are plastic, you won’t have this same concern. There’ll be nothing to fall off! Also, putting the tree away is much more straightforward. All you have to do is put it into a box and put it back into storage.
Also, we’re not sure if this is a good point, but when you’re dealing with a tree that doesn’t change from year to year, you can become pretty good at decorating it in the best way possible. There are also many variations, for example, if you don’t want to have a green tree, then you can opt for a white — or even black — tree. Of course, real trees only come in one colour!
Final Thoughts
We can’t say that there are no advantages to plastic trees. Clearly, there are — they can be easier to put up and can work out cheaper on a longer term basis. However, as we’ve seen above, those advantages don’t really tell the whole story. The fact of the matter is that Christmas is a time to bring some magic into our lives, and you can’t get magic from a plastic tree that was manufactured in a factory.
They look better, smell better, and come in all shapes and sizes, but perhaps the most important aspect is that they’re an integral component of the Christmas experience. From going to select and buy the tree to getting it home and decorating it, it’s a tradition that many of us love and need in order to feel as if Christmas has really arrived.
