With Christmas just around the corner, many families set up their Christmas trees to await presents and to get into the holiday spirit. However, with the Christmas tree being a centerpiece of the holiday season, the debate has sprung up about whether families should bring a real or a fake Christmas tree. Although I have never had a real Christmas tree, after doing my research I believe that a real Christmas tree is better in almost every aspect than a fake Christmas tree.
The main reason that a real Christmas tree is better than a fake tree is because of the tradition that comes with it. Many families go together, either into the woods or to a Christmas tree lot to pick out a tree together. This family bonding fosters the warm feelings associated with the cold months and brings family together for a fun activity. Also, if you are picking out a Christmas tree, you can pick the size and shape of your tree to fit your house.
In addition to being a fun tradition, getting a real Christmas tree is more environmentally friendly than buying a fake one. Most fake trees are manufactured from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, which is harmful to air quality and is considered as hazardous waste by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Conversely, real trees are grown and use greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere to grow. As soon as one tree is chopped down, another Christmas tree is planted for next year, continuously taking greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere. Real trees can also be used after Christmas as compost, firewood, or as wood carving projects.
Last but not least, the best part of a real Christmas tree is the smell. Because my family has rejected real trees from our house, I only smell the sacred scent a handful of times before the season is over. However, each time I get a whiff of a pine it instantly puts me in the Christmas spirit. It makes any house smell like a winter forest in the best way possible.
With the huge benefits of real Christmas trees, there is one clear option for what kind of tree to use for Christmas time. However, like most good things, real trees have their own downfalls. Unlike the fake trees which require one purchase, real trees become an added expense, each year in a time which already puts lots of stress on your bank account. The needles of a real tree can also become a hassle after they begin to fall, but this issue is easily subverted by continuing to water your Christmas tree and by setting up a guard to catch needles that fall.
Overall, a real Christmas tree is the only correct choice when choosing between a fake and real tree. Even as a lifetime fake tree supporter, the obvious superiority of real trees is clear. The amazing smell, the small environmental impact of choosing a real tree, and the tradition of picking out a tree makes fake trees obsolete.
