Confession: We have artificial Christmas trees in our home. I used to be surprised at the sideways glances I would get if the subject came up. And goodness forbid if someone came to the house and asked, “Is that a real Christmas tree?” with a touch of judgement. Although, honestly, many people can’t even tell the difference.
Oh, I know. There’s something romantic about having a real Christmas tree. You get to host a piece of nature in your home. They give off a lovely scent. And besides, how cheesy is it to have an artificial tree?
I’ve always had fake trees (more on that in a minute) and really do prefer artificial trees. They hang out in the attic all year round and are available the moment we want them. We just retrieve the trees — no fussing of finding the “perfect” tree and schlepping it home.
Growing Up Fake
I actually grew up with a fake tree — much to the horror of my mom. I was always sick as a baby, but when Christmas came along, my mom says I was an absolute mess. Looking back at photos from that time, you can easily see the black rings under my eyes. Today they call them allergic shiners (like having a black eye) but people didn’t really know what to call them then. It turns out that I had severe allergies, which included the Christmas tree.
When the doctors finally figured out I had horrible allergies, my folks were given a laundry list of things they had to remove from the house and my diet (including all nuts and eggs). But the one thing my mom couldn’t believe she had to give up was her Christmas tree. Trust me, I get how important a Christmas tree (you can read about it here). But being the good mom that she is, she immediately went and bought a fancy schmancy fake Christmas tree.
Fake Christmas tree were different than they are now. Made with hard prickly plastic and one uniform evergreen color, this thing was built to last (as many things back then were). And somehow, that sucker is still going strong, although I really think it needs a merciful retirement.
Can You Really Be Allergic to Christmas Trees?
How can someone be allergic to Christmas trees? Glad you asked. Anyone who is allergic to mold, like what develops on the leaves in the fall, is allergic to Christmas trees. Once you cut down a tree, it immediately begins to form mold. This molding won’t bother most people, but people with mild allergies will definitely have issues. And for someone with severe allergies, it’s just a sentence to be miserably sick for the season, setting off a cascade of sinus infections and asthma.
And so, we embrace the artificial Christmas tree with love and gratitude. The tree is there when I want it, it doesn’t need tending, it holds its shape perfectly, practically looks real and neatly stores away for the rest of the year.
What do you prefer? A real tree or an artificial one?
Kiescha Williams says
December 18, 2014 at 9:05 amI love artificial trees too! They save you money year after year and you don’t have to haul them out to the street. I see nothing wrong with having a fake tree, they look just as pretty. 🙂
Jennifer Hughes says
December 18, 2014 at 1:21 pmI actually think they look better — do you know how many Charlie Brown Christmas trees I’ve seen? 😀
Kiescha Williams says
December 18, 2014 at 1:24 pmLOL…..I know what you mean.
Robin @ Redo It Yourself Inspirations says
December 18, 2014 at 5:31 pmTotally relate.
I have had a fake tree for like 28 years now and I love it. Or loved it all this time until last year. I gave it away to a needy family last year through a friend’s post that these folks wanted a tree. Off it went after years of no allergies for my son who is now all grown and gone on to his own fake tree world.
During his childhood we dragged in a tree we cut from the woods. (Yep, some of them were realllllllly sad) Charlie Brown had nothin’ on us. We drilled in and wired and glued branches for two lousy weeks. That child wheezed and sneezed. After finding out through his pediatrician we couldn’t have fur, carpets, dust or… trees we went artificial and since then, I never went back.
The advantages are: no needles on the floor or watering, no sneezing, can have it up as long as you want and… it ain’t no Charlie Brown tree. After giving up my old fake tree I went out and got…
another fake tree. Proud of it. It’s pretty and I can count on it being pretty for another 20 years. 😀
Jennifer Hughes says
December 18, 2014 at 7:20 pmHa! Love it 😀 I upgraded my tree several years ago… it felt like such an indulgence but the branches were literally falling off the old one. Absolutely love my tree — and it’s always waiting in the attic when I’m ready for it. We pull it down every Thanksgiving weekend and it disappears Jan. 2 like clockwork!
Emily Lambert says
December 19, 2014 at 12:25 amMy husband and I both grew up with artificial trees so when we bought our home, we made it a tradition to cut a tree down (at a tree farm) every year. In all honesty, I actually prefer real trees, although I completely understand why you prefer artificial trees. This year, we chose a Scots Pine and let me tell you something! Stepping on one of those needles while barefoot is no joke! Hanging ornaments was NOT a family affair this year because my kids kept getting poked. The Douglass Fir that we chose last year wasn’t nearly as prickly as this one! Ouch! With that said, the scent, the “piece of nature” in our home, and most importantly, the process of picking one out every year as a family outweigh the needles on the floor (and we have no children with major allergies) and is why we will continue using real trees. But no more Scots Pines!
Jennifer Hughes says
December 19, 2014 at 8:35 amHa! Those needles sound like me and Legos on our floor. There’s always one just waiting to get stepped on with bare feet. Enjoy the tree — but it definitely sound like Douglass Firs are the way to go in the future 🙂
Jayne Townsley says
December 19, 2014 at 10:23 amFake trees all the way here! I hate the mess of a real tree and I barely remember to give my dog water much less remember about a tree. (The dog’s not dehydrated, so don’t worry! Husband is definitely the better parent of the fur babies.)
We also do not enjoy stringing lights so we prefer a pre-lit.
Jennifer Hughes says
December 19, 2014 at 1:52 pmLMAO! You’re totally cracking me up!
Oooo. And you’re SO right about the pre-lit trees, too. When I “upgraded” I bought a prelit one. As long as it works, it’s fabulous!
Susan S. says
December 19, 2014 at 10:10 pmI prefer a live tree, but I’m very lazy. This time of year I’m busy doing craft shows and getting the entire family Christmas presents. Because we bought a fake tree 15 years ago when we lived in a microscopic duplex, we still use it. We have had a real tree once or twice, but this year it’s the fake one… with scentsicles hanging in it. Interesting to learn about the allergies though. Probably just as well that we do use a fake tree, as my husband has a host of allergies.
Jennifer Hughes says
December 20, 2014 at 8:54 amI think a lot of people are surprised that the tree can really trigger allergies for a lot of people. They just think they’re not feeling well… I bet the scentsicles smell wonderful 😀
Kirsten says
December 21, 2014 at 9:03 pmThis is so funny. When we lived in California, everyone had a fake tree and thought nothing of it because it was the good for the environment to have one. Now that we live in the Midwest, people think, how can you have a fake tree? Well, we have a kid that is allergic to Christmas trees (you’re right, mold). Unfortunately, our fake tree died last year and the $26 Costco tree was just too tempting this year. We have a lot of allergy meds on hand and he doesn’t seem to be complaining too much, but when those trees go on sale after the season, we will be the first ones in line to get a new fake tree!
Jennifer Hughes says
December 22, 2014 at 5:15 pmKirsten — Definitely get a fake one… even though he may not be complaining too much about his allergies, it’s like having a constant bug or the flu… it just feels rotten :/