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tommyflan

POLL: Real or fake Christmas tree?

Tom Flanagan
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
A lot of people argue that the real thing is the best thing, but when it comes to Christmas trees, there's often a bit of switching sides. You can't beat the smell of a real Christmas tree, but then you can't argue against the tidiness and longevity of a fake tree.

What did you go for this year? The real thing or its tidier little brother? Vote and let us know why!
Norton Priory · More Info
A real tree of course!
A fake tree is just as good!
Other
Featured Answer
  • User
    7 years ago

    It has to be a live tree for me!

    Comments (50)

    • Luisa Rollenhagen
      9 years ago
      I'm a purist, real tree all the way. Up until a couple of years ago my dad and I would even drive out into the forest every year to a location where we could cut down our own tree!
    • Tony McIntyre
      9 years ago
      I have a fake tree, which I've had for a few years. When it's time to get a new one, I will definitely be getting a real one!
    • Sonia Goul-Wheeker
      9 years ago
      A real tree definitely! It's a yearly tradition for my dad and I to go choose the Christmas tree and spend ages picking one out that's just right. Personally, it wouldn't feel right to have a fake tree!
    • em2020
      9 years ago
      Fake all the way - everyone thinks it's real anyway. Just drag it out year after year. It's only a month out of the year so no extra expense, no hassle going and getting the thing in the cold.. Straight up, decorated, job done in a couple of hours. Away in the attic afterwards instead of disposal of a beautiful real tree.
    • Resistance
      9 years ago
      we love our techno LED Christmas tree ...
    • lislondon
      9 years ago
      You would never ever find an artificial Christmas tree in my house. For me it has to be the real thing! However, our tradition (Danish) we never get the tree into the house until the 22nd, so it's fresh and also, it has to be fresh, as we add lots of live candles to our tree! Keep making sure to top up the water in the bucket in which the tree sits, and you'll have a beautiful and fresh tree over the Christmas period right until the 6th January when Christmas is over... :) Happy Christmas... :)
    • soozmacrae
      9 years ago
      I have a fake tree, its black in colour to go with my living room, but I really prefer a real tree.
    • twistlike
      9 years ago
      we have and artificial that either goes in the hall or the dining room and had real trees in the lounge for years-made a big thing of getting it, but it used to take me so long to choose 'the right tree', couldn't decide it was a full day job. for the last few years we've just used the fake one, my daughter who has special needs put the artificial in the hall this year, it was lovely to come home from work to find her and her dad had done all the arrangements for me.
    • Carol Weston
      9 years ago
      I'd always choose real, but my beloved is horribly allergic so fake it has to be (sigh).
    • whiggygirl
      9 years ago
      Pine needles are toxic to cats, so you will NEVER find a real tree in my house! I have a fibre-optic tree, SO therapeutic!
    • PRO
      Pines and Needles
      7 years ago

      Our sustainable Real Trees are the way to go- Grown in our Scottish plantations.

      You cannot beat the smell and look of a real Nordmann Fir

    • minnie101
      7 years ago

      I'd always had real trees growing up so continued with that until a few years ago when I ruined our new wood floor by watering the tree. We splashed out on 2 of the real feel trees and I have to say I really like them. No more spending hours at the garden centre choosing the perfect tree and working out if you can get it home plus I'm allergic to them so although decorating was fun it was painful on my hands! I think you need a tree skirt with an artificial one though. I might put a real one in my porch this year though...

    • PRO
      Pines and Needles
      7 years ago

      We always encourage our customers to buy a water holding stand as it has a good holding capacity and it wide to help with ease of topping up. Also we recommend putting the water in the stand before installing the tree and removing the netting.

      We hand pick your premium tree and deliver it to your door and if you live in the London area we will also install & decorate for an additional cost.

      We also sell tree skirts and stand mats to protect your flooring ;-)

      We sell lovely potted trees and pots if you would like one for your porch- take a look at our website:https://www.pinesandneedles.com/

      Or visit our stores page:https://www.pinesandneedles.com/christmas-trees-london


    • lislondon
      7 years ago

      Being Danish, and having been brought up with the real thing, I could never ever have anything else. The difference to an English Christmas tree and a Danish Christmas tree is, that we only bring the fresh tree inside a few days before the 24th...where we celebrate our Danish Christmas, and with lots of live candles on the tree..and yes, it's completely safe, as the tree is fresh, it's foot is in water...and that's what we Danes do...and we are so lucky, as we also celebrate our English Christmas on the 25th...and now we are in Provence, we do exactly the same...❤️

    • lisa77226
      7 years ago
      I like to put it up really early (been known to do it in the last week of November) so we can enjoy the festive feeling in the lead up so I do a fake tree. I also take it down promptly on Boxing Day. Even if I wanted to do real, I grew up with cats that liked to climb it and now have a dog who wouldn't hesitate to lift his leg on it! I'm sticking with fake!
    • PRO
      Pines and Needles
      7 years ago

      If you keep your real tree cool and watered it will last up to four weeks....

      don't let pets prevent you from enjoying a real tree - we advise using shatterproof decorations to avoid breakage and attach with wire twist hooks to secure

      Gift your pet a mini tree to play with and invest in a potted tree or 4ft Nord for your bedroom or porch...Give it go - you will not be disappointed

      Here's a code you for you to use online:

      REAL

      **add at checkout on your order and you will get a mini tree and mistletoe as a gift from us

      www.pinesandneedles.com


    • lisa77226
      7 years ago
      I like the look of real trees but they're just not for me.
    • wallielo
      7 years ago

      we have 2 trees (a small forest - sorry!) the one for the sitting room is massive (fake) dark green with little bits of snow that are found throughout the house in january. but we love it, takes an age to put it up and decorate and five minutes to take back down. we have a small tree for the kitchen which is white and about 4 foot high and the most miserable looking little thing you've ever seen. we have it since we got married and were broke (still broke and still married ha) and my little adopted nieces come over on Christmas eve (one who is alergic to the real thing) and we decorate it and laugh and joke. every year we choose a new decoration for their deceased daddy and smile at the "old" ones, and more often than not it gets knocked over by their mammy after a few mulled wines and it has to be taken apart and redone. great craic for the kids, funny how it is somehow decorated differently every time.

    • PRO
      Nolte Kitchens UK
      7 years ago

      In the current climate, everything that can be recycled should. This is true of a real tree!

    • PRO
      Wood4Floors
      7 years ago

      Real tree would be great!

    • PRO
      Studio Kitty McKibbin
      7 years ago

      Real, real, real all the way!


    • Stephen Edwards
      7 years ago

      I always used to have a real tree, I love the look, the smell, the size. I don't like the clearing up after it, or the dog thinking I have brought the outside in for him. I stopped having a real one in my last house as I didn't have the space and bought a fake tree with built in fibre-optic lights, I used it last year in this house and it did look a bit silly so this year may go back to a real one

    • Tom Flanagan
      Original Author
      7 years ago
      last modified: 7 years ago

      I agree, the mess is a pain but the smell makes it all worthwhile. Pine is just the best scent though I can never understand why things supposedly 'pine scented' are so terrible - it never smells remotely like pine!

    • PRO
      Bio Fires
      7 years ago

      Nothing beats the real thing :)

    • PRO
      Decor Kitchens & Bathrooms
      7 years ago

      Love the smell of a real tree!

    • PRO
      Brooklands Property Holdings
      7 years ago

      You just can't beat a real tree!

    • PRO
      PHIL FRANKLIN LANDSCAPES
      7 years ago

      Real tree every year!!

    • Rachael Fletcher
      7 years ago

      You can't beat the smell of a real tree!

    • PRO
      fabricport.com
      7 years ago

      Always real - the smell, the funky shapes and all that comes with it! No artificial tree can beat a real tree and yes I do agree they can be a bit messy but its only once a year!

    • Maggie Booth
      7 years ago
      We love real but my son has very bad allergy to it, we had to rake him to A&E and he needed to stay there for days. So we have a fake tree but it looks very convincing , loads of our family have seen it but all thought it was real
    • hounoc
      7 years ago

      I honestly don't know any more. I used to always say real but the last few real ones we've had have had no smell (annoyingly as that's the best bit) and have been awkward shapes. Two years ago we had no tree until I cracked on the 23rd and went out and got a very realistic artificial one (NOT pre-decorated - I reserve at least that pleasure) and to be honest, I think I might be a convert. I've discovered that the only thing I really miss about the real ones are the smell which aren't a guarantee seemingly any more - I don't know what strange species our local sellers were getting but they aren't like the Christmas trees of yore...

    • Tom Flanagan
      Original Author
      7 years ago

      I agree on all the above however I've never actually had a fake tree so maybe I should test the waters this year...

    • PRO
      Tom Graham Workshop
      7 years ago

      If it doesn't smell like a tree it isn't Christmas, right?

    • PRO
      Amber Jeavons Ltd
      7 years ago

      REAL + ROOTS = GR8 CHRISTMAS ! Post christmas... plant! Then next christmas.........REAL + ROOTS = GR8 CHRISTMAS ! Post christmas....plant! Then next christmas.... REAL + ROOTS = GR8 CHRISTMAS ! >>>>>>

    • PRO
      GR Concept
      7 years ago

      Get a real one! It has a fresh organic scent that will add more christmasy feel in your space! :)

    • Phil Smith
      7 years ago

      Got to be a real one every time.

    • Gaynor Wall
      7 years ago

      I like to get a real tree but one that is still growing in the pot, then it can go out into the garden and bought back in next year. Its such a shame to cut a tree down. However all trees are beautiful whether they are fake or real when love has gone into arranging them. My best friend and i always buy each other a new decoration each year and its a delight to unwrap them and appreciate them as they are put in place xx

    • uree N
      7 years ago
      For countries that don't grow as much green .... Then the fibre I would rather call it than fake is the best plus less fear of shedding and all.
    • Sonia
      7 years ago

      Fake for me. Had a real tree years ago which shed pine needles constantly and made a dreadful mess. Also let's not forget people with asthma or allergies to grass and trees can become very ill. My 25 yr old niece decided to have a real tree one year and was so ill - breathing problems as well as streaming eyes and nose. If you have children with asthma, it may be better to choose a fake tree.

    • PRO
      Normanton Designs
      7 years ago

      Fake Christmas trees are just wrong! Part of Christmas is that great smell of pine, not to mention the annual pilgrimage to buy the perfect tree each year. The fact that it won't last enhances the magic by making you appreciate it more.

    • jonesy100000000
      7 years ago
      I have a fake one as it was left in the roof by the previous owner which saved me having to go out and buy one, real or otherwise.
    • Tim Summers
      7 years ago

      We've gone for one of each again this year. I'd echo the sentiments of the smell of the real tree being almost magical.

      The real tree is in the sitting room - and this is basically the wife's. She has full control over this bad-boy. She chooses the decorations, the lights, where things go, what colour scheme (for some reason the lights in this picture look blue. They're not, they're just a different 'white' - phone cameras hey).

      The fake tree is in the kids room (aka the conservatory) - this is decorated by the kids, and basically they just stand there and throw as much stuff as they can get their hands on in the direction of the tree and see what sticks. I did have to wait till they went to bed to 're-locate' some of the accessories, as 90% of is was only decorated up to waist level.

    • Olena Tkach
      7 years ago
      last modified: 7 years ago

      A good fake one. I don't like to watch a tree slowly dying in my room. I don't like all the needles found in the most unexpected places till summer. I don't have a garden to plant a tree there. We're a very clumpsy family and we don't remove decorations till February, so anyway a real tree never survives the holiday season, so renting a tree in a pot is not an option too.

      So, a good fake tree and some aromatic oils and sachets for the smell.

    • User
      7 years ago

      real tree!

    • PRO
      Manuka Roofing Ltd
      7 years ago

      real tree!!!!!

    • PRO
      Hana Snow
      7 years ago
      last modified: 7 years ago

      Always real, the smell, the touch. Bring the outside in!

    • PRO
      BuzziSpace
      7 years ago

      A fake one could be far more creative

    • Doe Stewart
      7 years ago
      Definitely a real tree although I have no idea how our 10 month old border terrier is going to behave when he sees ours for the first time As long as he doesn't think we have brought him an inside toilet in the lounge and doesn't try to take the fairy off the top we'll be OK. Wish us luck
    • PRO
      MBH Carpentry and Joinery Ltd.
      7 years ago
      Always grew up with a fake tree and have now older carried on with that. My dreams lead me to have a posh house that would warrant a real tree.
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