do you fake it?

Fake, wife has allergies.

Real.

Better for the planet.

TWO fake trees every single year.

I like a real live one in a bucket, then plant it outside. Haven't done that for a few years, but that's my preferred way.

cwh wrote: I like a real live one in a bucket, then plant it outside. Haven't done that for a few years, but that's my preferred way.

I tried that two years ago, but with one of the little one-gallon-pot jobs they sell at big box stores....After I checked out, another customer told me it would die because they pack too many baby trees together in those pots. He was right.

I'm back to a fake tree decorated with matchbox cars.

Real, all the way. In fact, 3 or 4 of the biggest trees on my parents' property grew from balled live Christmas trees we planted after the season.

Fake. Had real for years, they are a PITA what with dropping needles etc. Mine even came prewired; stand that bad boy up, fold the 'limbs' out, plug it in.

Real. Korean Fir only drops a few needles the whole time it's up. Wife's a big 8 year old when it comes to Christmas, I'm a scrooge.

douglas fir all the way. looks great, doesn't beat you up too much and the branches are strong enough to hang a ridiculous amount of ornaments from without them bending all the way to the ground.

Real, though I keep threatening to go fake. We haven't put it up yet, because the daughter won't be home from college until Thursday.

Real.

And I can't imagine the horrors of having a nest of praying mantises open up in the house. Every praying mantis I've ever met perceived me as food. I know I'm supposed to revere that bug, but I really don't like them.

pigeon wrote: Keepin' it real here - our one family tradition since my kids were babies is we go out to a tree farm and cut down our own Doug Fir. Did it yesterday, it was partly cloudy and 53* My 13 year old daughter lamented that it was much more fun when it was snowy and cold when we cut the tree down when she was little, before global warming.

I'm with you. Very much real. There's a local tree farm here too. They take you out in a horse drawn wagon, you cut down your own tree. The barn is a giant Christmas display/store. The whole experience is very quiant. Been going there 15 years. We went on Saturday. It was warm and just felt strange. Came home with an 11.5' tree and a 6' tree (for the kids). We were smart. Most people try to throw these monster trees on their roof and tie it down. That's what we did for years. The past few years, I brought our 6'x9' landscape trailer, which has 2' sides on it. Just toss them in and go.

It's very expensive, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

Bah humbug . . . .

Mrs. Zero put up a fake. Easier to fold and put in the attic . . .

When growing up: real.

When we first bought my house in '92: real and live. That tree is now about 30' tall in my back yard. Now I don't have a tree.

My mother did the live thing again when she bought her 2nd house in '96. That tree has also done well. Unfortunately, her husband developed allergies and now she has a very nice pre-lit fake tree.

My g/f and her family always get live ones. This year, she won't have one due to the renovation and a lack of room.

No tree until we finish the media room in the house next year.

But I keeps it real. It doesnt make THAT big of a mess. And it smells good.

Done both in the past, real this year.

Bah Humbug!

Brett_Murphy wrote: If I had my way, none. If my wife had hers, real. What we have? Fake.

+1 for this. I'd choose not to have one at all. Wife loves the whole ordeal so since (in her opinion) it's "mans work" to put up the tree and light it we have a pre-lit fake tree, my work is done in 10 minutes and she can throw all the crap she wants on it.

Neither, as we don't particular care for the feline decoration of the tree. Actually we have a very small potted tree in the house that gets some lights.

We also have (I think) a Ponderosa pine or something similarly native in the yard, so that'll get some lights thrown at it this year.

Growing up we always had real trees, my wifes family had real ones too. A couple of years ago we went with the fake pre lit tree. The idea is to keep that one until the our daughter is three and then get a real one again.

Fake. Doesn't make as much mess when the cats knock it over.

We have a fake one. I'd prefer none.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: Fake, wife has allergies.

Same at my house. I prefer a real one,but......

Fit_Is_Slo wrote: http://www.festivuspoles.com/pages/Festivuspoles.htm done!

Hmmm...my festivus pole is 9.5 feet of brass that goes all the way to the ceiling....

Did I get the wrong pole?

Gearheadotaku wrote:

Fit_Is_Slo wrote: http://www.festivuspoles.com/pages/Festivuspoles.htm done!

Hmmm...my festivus pole is 9.5 feet of brass that goes all the way to the ceiling.... Did I get the wrong pole?

nah, that one will work. The ornaments are quite a sight as well...

Since 1999 we have used this one. Its an inflatable vinyl tree. Discuss.