Every year, families have to make a decision about whether they should purchase an artificial Christmas tree or buy a real one. Some people see it as a battle between longstanding tradition and consumerism, while other people view the decision as a choice between classy and tacky. The amount of importance you regard this decision with does not matter; what matters is that you know the pros and cons of both options.

Why Choose A Faux Tree?

Some people have an easy decision when it comes to choosing between an artificial Christmas tree and a real one—family members who have allergies to pine needles and sap leave them no choice at all. In such a situation, choosing to purchase an artificial Christmas tree will allow you to still enjoy Christmas traditions without putting a family member in discomfort.

An artificial Christmas tree can be used year after year. And, even though people criticize artificial Christmas trees for being untraditional, many families develop traditions and rituals that revolve around their artificial trees. A decorating routine or assembling tradition can be established with an artificial Christmas tree just as easily as with a real Christmas tree.

The Reality Of A Real Tree

Real Christmas trees can be purchased from a lot or from a Christmas tree farm. Real trees provide things that the faux trees cannot, such as the scent of pine forests. Real trees are also a great choice because, unlike artificial Christmas trees, they are biodegradable. The plastics and metals that faux trees are made from are damaging to the environment, and there is no proper way to dispose of them.

Besides taking up space in landfills, fake Christmas trees can sometimes catch on fire and release environmentally damaging fumes into the air. Such consequences, when compared to those of selecting an environmentally-friendly natural Christmas tree, do not seem to make the other decision worth it.

The Logical Choice

Unless allergies or asthma must prevent you from enjoying a real Christmas tree, you should avoid artificial ones in order to protect the environment. Real Christmas trees can be found all over the place throughout the holiday season—at grocery stores, in catalogues, in tree lots, and at Christmas tree farms. However, where you get your Christmas tree and whether it is real or fake do not actually matter in the long run. What really matters is the memories you make underneath the tree.