Might as well push the season, everyone else is. So what is it?

fricken grinch, you can't have fake christmas tree's. How the hell you goin ta burn down da house for the oliday's.:rolleyes:

Real for sure. Love that smell in the morning. And oh, the memories

fricken grinch, you can't have fake christmas tree's. How the hell you goin ta burn down da house for the oliday's.:rolleyes:
Well you could try to deep fry a turkey.;)

We usually alternate every year. But the past few years we have gone real. Better smell, but can be a PITA to water everyday. Plus, the dog (a 100 lb Golden Retreiver) decides to crawl under the tree, almost knock it down, and drink out of the base.

But thats all the fun of the season. http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/weihnachten/xmas-smiley-016.gif

Chris

Fake.. much much cheaper in the long run, much cleaner, dont have to dispose of it later, and it certainly looks good. But you dont get the joy of picking out the right tree each year, or the smells, and stuff like that. But I think the benifits of a fake tree outweigh that of a real tree.

Real tree is the best! Then you have a huge party for new years and burn the tree, and wow what a flame it shoots up
http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/weihnachten/xmas-smiley-037.gif
http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/weihnachten/xmas-smiley-045.gif

Real is the only way to go!!!!

Real was great for me until about 10 years ago when we brought one home only to have some insect larvae mature (from the warm indoor temps, I assume) and had an infestation through the holidays. Bought a nice fake after that and have had Happy Holidays since. Don't miss finding those pine needles in the carpeting through July either...

FAKE
No mess, no bugs, easier, looks real, last forever...

Fake.. Four footer that is high quality. Fully decorated and stored year round with a sheet over it in an outbuilding I have. Pick it up put it on a coffee table and plug it in! Takes about 15 minutes a year to set it up! :D

Steve, you live out in the sticks of Douglassville and get a fake tree??!!
How dare you :angry:

what's next, a christmas tree hologram?

Fake, the last real tree I had , came from the end of Bill Elliott's runway, a real beauty, about 7ft. tall. Got it home, put it up, and within an hour, my allergies had flared up, and I couldn't breath till New Years, when I took it down. I'll do as Mike says above, buy a short , pre-lit tree, and have it up and down in 10 minutes, with no worries about allergies.

Allergies are a great reason for a fake tree, but in my case I will never use anything but real. Itjst isn't the same. Some of you remember in the 60's when they came out with those aluminum trees? Good grief they were tacky, but my father got one strictly for saving money. Since I bought my first one for my own home back in '74 it's always been real. The smell alone is worth the extra money and work

A real tree is a necessity at my house. Wife won't have it any other way.

When you get a family, it makes a nice tradition to go "cut the tree". I'm fortunate in that Washington & Lee University owns a Christmas tree farm on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Beautiful sheared frazier firs for $30, and they shear them all different ways, so you can get a tall tree without filling up the whole room.

Oh, and I know it's old fashioned but I've got a thing about "Xmas". My Dad's influence I guess. He said writing it that way left Christ out of Christmas. Don't want to offend anyone, just his, (and I guess now mine) opinion.

We prefer a real tree that we can re-plant after the season. If we
can't find a decent one, we will put up our fake tree.

I have a problem killing a perfectly good tree that took over
6 years to grow just to hang a few doo-dads on for 6 days or so.

Does this make me a tree hugger ? :)

We prefer a real tree that we can re-plant after the season. If we
can't find a decent one, we will put up our fake tree.

I have a problem killing a perfectly good tree that took over
6 years to grow just to hang a few doo-dads on for 6 days or so.

Does this make me a tree hugger ? :)
I feel as you do when cutting a live tree for firewood.

Christmas trees though are like any other farm grown product. They're grown to harvest- - - -

Plus, the dog (a 100 lb Golden Retreiver) decides to crawl under the tree, almost knock it down, and drink out of the base. Chris


Maybe he was trying to p*ss on it? LOL

I have a 9' fake tree that I really like, No mess or watering. Also have a rotating tree stand that's pretty cool. My tree is about 6 years old and still looks great.

LK

Little known facts of the Origin of the Christmas (yule) tree and everything practiced at Christmas time (yule/winter solstice.)

Yule, also referred to as the Yuletide, Winter Solstice and Christmas is the shortest day of the year and the longest night. This is usually around December 20th or 21st. With the shortest day, Yule marks the time when the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter. Yule begins on 'Mother Night' and ends twelve days later, thus the origin of the Twelve Days of Christmas. On this day the Holly King, who represents the death aspect of the God, is overcome by the Oak King, who embodies the rebirth of the God, also referred to as the Divine Child. Love, family togetherness and accomplishments of the past year are celebrated. This is also a good time to reflect on your achievements of the last year and what you desire to achieve in the coming year.

Yule is a solar festival, celebrated by fire and the use of the Yule log. The seasons colors are red and green, originating from Pagan celebrations of this time of year. Red represents the females menstrual blood, while the color green represents the fertility of the coming growing season. Fancy breads, cookies and holly wreathes are also a part of the original Pagan (Witch) tradition. Food is prepared for the after dinner Yule celebration when the tree is lighted and the Yule log is burned. A portion of the Yule log is saved to be used in next years lighting of the Yule log. This piece of the yule log is kept throughout the year to protect the home.

Place a piece of holly bush on your altar for the Yule celebration, in keeping with Pagan tradition. After the celebration, before dismissing the Quarters and taking down the Circle, write down a wish or wishes on pieces of parchament paper and tie them to the holly bush branches on your altar. You can write down as few or many wishes as you desire. However try to keep it simple. Bury the holly bush limb with your wishes attached to it during the next full moon, giving thanks to the Lord and Lady, to assure that your wishes will be realized during the coming year.

At sunset place a bayberry candle or two on your dining table and light them. Allow the bayberry candles to burn themselves out to ensure wealth and happiness throughout the following year. Plus you can set another pair upon the mantle and lighted at the beginning of the Yule ceremony. Not only do they smell pleasant, but are also another part of the Pagan Yule tradition.

# The Yule Tree: The Yule tree lights and ornaments originally symbolized the sun, moon and stars as they looked on the Tree of Life. The Yule tree decorations also represented the souls of the departed who we remember at the end of the year. And then there is the modern day gift giving which originated from hanging sacred presents on the Yule tree as offerings to deities such as Attis and Dionysus. All of this sprung from the pine groves equated with the Great Mother Goddess.

# Hanging mistletoe and holly: Druids considered Mistletoe to be very magickal and referred to it as the Golden Bough. Druids believed Mistletoe to possess great healing powers and gave mortal men access to the Underworld. Once in our history Mistletoe was once thought to resemble the genitalia of the God, with the white berries representing his sacred semen. This is in contrast to the red berries of Holly, which symbolized the sacred menstrual blood of the Goddess. Mistletoe's symbolic life giving essence is representative of divine substance and immortality for those who handle it at Yule.

# The Yule Log: Originally the Yule bonfire was meant to give renewed life and power to the sun, thus the sun was reborn with the shortest day marking the time of year when the days started becoming longer. Traditionally Yule logs are oak, with the oak tree symbolizing the Cosmic Tree of Life, per Druid lore. Pine is also used to represent the dying Gods Attis, Dionysus and Woden (Odin).

# Cakes and Cider: Placing cakes in the boughs of the oldest apple trees in the orchard and pouring on cider as a libation was an old Pagan Yuletide custom practiced in England, and known as Wassailing the Orchard Trees. It was said the cider was a substitute for the human or animal blood offered in primitive times as part of the Winter Solstice fertility rite. After offering a toast to the health of the apple trees and giving thanks to them for producing fruit, the farmers would then enjoin the trees to continue producing abundantly.

Traditional Pagan foods of Yule/Winter Solstice Sabbat are roasted turkey, nuts, fruitcakes, caraway rolls, eggnog and mulled wine.

My tree is fake, kinda like alot of SS Chevelles running around my town. LOL!

Tree must be real. It's the only thing left of the holiday that is real. Not only for the smell, but for the whole adventure. Take the family out, go to 3 or 4 lots to see the miserable things some of them dare to call trees, get some hot chocolate and go pick the best one out. Then haggle over the price (usually get thrown out of at least one lot per year for trying to haggle)

Hey! I've got an idea!

A storage service for fake trees. Here's how it works: People bring you their fake tree to store for them for the year. WHen Christmastime comes, you get some of that tacky orange fencing, maybe some rent-a-fence, and set up in a grocery store parking lot. In 3 or 4 places. To get their fake tree back, people have to drive all over looking for the lot that has it, then find it on the lot, and then haggle over the price for storage for the year. Then you get to tie it to the top of their Yugo, Benz, whatever and they take it home and set it up. After Christmas, they bring it back to a central location to have it stored til next year. And we'll throw in a handful or 10 of dead pine needles to stick in the carpet of the car, and around the rugs in the house.

I think I've got a winner here!

K

How many houses catch fire each year from dried out real trees going up in flames? If people aren't home when it happens they usually come home to a destroyed home. To me the risk of losing everything to fire far outweighs the appearance and smell of a real tree. They're a PITA too. Needles dropping and having to keep the trunk watered (if you're cautious at all). Fake tree for me.

both me and my youngest daughter are allergic to the real trees

last year was the first year that we had a fake tree - and it was a world of difference

It has become a tradition for Wife,Daughter, and Myself to go out to a cut your own place and find one. I take the ol' bow saw with me too.

Fresh tree lasts longer and smells better, just keep'em watered.

I prefer "imaginary" ;)

I hate what Christmas has become, and I'm already sick of the ****ty music. I enjoy seeing the family, but the whole commercialization of what used to be a religious holiday is a big turnoff to me. Greed, greed, greed :sad: ...it's no-wonder that 'tis the season for people to off themselves.

Oh-well, they can have their christmas trees, presents, credit card debts, and inevitable suicides... I'm going to spend my money on car-parts and give a big middle-finger salute to corporate greed. :)

Allergies are a great reason for a fake tree, but in my case I will never use anything but real. Itjst isn't the same. Some of you remember in the 60's when they came out with those aluminum trees? Good grief they were tacky, but my father got one strictly for saving money. Since I bought my first one for my own home back in '74 it's always been real. The smell alone is worth the extra money and work

Ditto, real trees unless you have allergies.

We used to get in the truck, go to the woods and cut our own tree. It's getting hard to find nice ones on our property though, the last one before we finally gave up took 2 hours to find and it was still a really sorry-looking cypress that was crooked and full of bugs. We just refuse to pay $30-40 for a tree, so we decided that an artificial one was the best option. After Christmas, we just fold it up and put it back in the box, no vacuum cleaning or bug spray needed. I think they're great, you won't notice the difference anyway as long as you have enough eggnog. :thumbsup:

Can't beat the smell of a real one... But I suppose you could always decorate your fake one with those little pine tree air fresheners. ;)

I prefer "imaginary" ;)

I hate what Christmas has become, and I'm already sick of the ****ty music. I enjoy seeing the family, but the whole commercialization of what used to be a religious holiday is a big turnoff to me. Greed, greed, greed :sad: ...it's no-wonder that 'tis the season for people to off themselves.

Oh-well, they can have their christmas trees, presents, credit card debts, and inevitable suicides... I'm going to spend my money on car-parts and give a big middle-finger salute to corporate greed. :)

All good points Derek. Lets see ... Chinese products, Jewish merchants
and retailers, and Christians lining up like lambs to the slaughter to make
them both wealthy. All the while being bombarded with anything BUT
Christ and his birthday by non-believers of the Christian faith.

There will be programming on the History channel about Moses parting the Red Sea and the inaccuracies regarding the New Testament and how
the holiday celebrated by millions of Christians may not be valid.

Oh Well, life goes on during CHRISTMAS. It just doesn't include Jesus ...
It seems that the People that benefit the most do not even believe
in Christ. Programing on Christmas day never reflects the true meaning
of why we should be celebrating. It seems that the media and those
who control it, have taken Christ out of Christmas. This really bothers
me and I'm not even a Bible beater. I'm just someone who believes
that if it's going to be called " Christmas " then it should be celebrated
as such. Christ-Mass. Instead we get stupid s*** like the Grinch.
How ironic ...

I would be suprised if this is not deleted even though it is the truth.

ours have been real for past 10 yrs. i would just as soon have a synthetic tree but get out voted. even the real ones are kinda fake these days with the green dye or paint they put on them(unless fresh cut) last year the tree layed out in my burning pit nice and green till july

Fake....yeah real trees are nice, but they're good for what...one use only? Plus they make a mess, they're fire hazzards and unless you buy the roots and stuff with it you pretty much killed the thing.....btw if anyone needs a fake tree I've got one to give away...it's a 6-7 footer (I think)............lights, ornaments and all....come and get it out of my house and it's yours.

We are able to cut our own in the National Forest around my house. It is a fun tradition and everyone enjoys the day out. The trees are not as nice as the farmed ones but we make them look great. Merry Christmas

I can't believe fake is winning out at this point. Real are so much nicer and you don't have to store them for 49 weeks out of the year. Guys in my area gather up their trees after the holidays, tie them together, weight them down and then they drop them in the lake to create fish holding "structure." They've caught some pretty nice fish that were hanging aroung these spots.

Fake. No doubt in MY mind!

Inherited a prelit-hinged tree this year. Woo hoo! 5 mins!!!

I am not a fan of Christmas anyways, too commercialized. It's always been a source of stress for me because I never have any $, but want to do nice things for everybody. The last 4 years in a row there's been an inordinate number of funerals during the Xmas season also, really puts a damper on things.

If I had a real tree I would probably want to plant it also. I am not a "tree hugger" exactly, but I love to have trees around me. I don't have a lotta $ as mentioned before so I am frequently guilty of digging up seedlings from peoples hedges, the ditch, fields, etc, just to get something growing. I love my property but there was maybe 4 trees on the whole 2 acres!!! :clonk:

Nothing wrong with storing a fake tree in the attic...out of sight, out of mind, plus it beats having to join the masses and run out and buy a fresh live one every year. Christmas shopping is bad enough.

But to each his own.

All good points Derek.

I would be suprised if this is not deleted even though it is the truth.

Wheres the part about the Christians stealing the holiday from the Romans and the Druids?

You know what I'm getting at Kurt.



Merry Christmas :)

You know what I'm getting at Kurt.



Merry Christmas :)

Yeah, just having a bit of fun w/ya Johnny ;)

Merry Christmas :)

When was the last time you went to Chruch on Christmas Eve? Every Year. I also went to a Catholic school and attended church 3x/week and had 5 hours of religion/week during those 8 years. There's not a story in the Bible that I haven't heard. (doesn't mean I remember them all though) I'm pretty sure Santa Claus isn't in it anywhere, but I may have forgotten that part. ;)

Christmas is all about greed now, and I don't see it getting any better.

I'm greedy at times too, but I don't use a religious holiday to hide it.

Real is good, but I feel like I'm putting up a rocket engine instead of a tree. I'll bet 5 gallons of gas wouldn't burn as strong.

You forgot to have a NO TREE box for us Scrooges...... :clonk:
rachael anne :waving:

Bah, humbug!

:)

My wife gave me a stocking with the grinch peeking out the top. I'm really not as sour about it as I sound, just the commercialized part. I enjoy the family time, for sure.

I like my tree like I like boobs, big, fake, & well shaped :D :waving:

Scott

Your a Boob.......... :sad:

We put up a fake tree one year and the kids started crying when they saw it so we took it down and went out and got a real one. :sad:

Definitely fake...My daughter had a heart transplant 15 years ago this month...the one year we had a real tree she was extremely ill the whole time we had it. Not worth the risk for her...and our 8 foot pre-lit tree goes up in about 5 minutes, which gives me more time to spend with her. It also gives me more time to put up the 10,000 outdoor twinkle lights (ala Clark W. Griswold) on my house...

I agree with ACLineman...there is nothing better than going to midnight mass and hearing the choir and orchestra performing the Christmas music.


By the way...isn't it a bit early to be asking this...shouldn't there be a poll whether people like to cook their own turkey...or buy one already done???? LOL

Clark Jr :P I look forward to watchin Christmas Vacation in December :D

fake,---no bugs,no fire,no water,no going every year to get a friggin tree---cant beat the fake pines---but they gotta look somewhat real---mine fools them all--looks real--but--no hassles---bob hetrick 67RAT

SS 454 In our family it's a tradition to watch it for the FIRST time on Thanksgiving day... :)

Nothing Like cutting down your own Douglasville Douglas Fir!!! Now that I live in New Orleans area, we get a real Noble Fir and have it "snow capped or lightly flocked." Sounds fairy, i know, but it looks like it has fresh snow on it and it lasts!!

I vote Real :)

http://www.pacificraceways.com/drag/images/pr_tree02.gif

I vote Real :)

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:VadstpqJx2IJ:http://media.nhra.com/2005/misc/Christmas_Tree_2.jpg

Thats the best tree I`ve ever seen, if I could just talk my wife into putting that one up instead of the fake tree we have now. LOL

SS 454 In our family it's a tradition to watch it for the FIRST time on Thanksgiving day... :)

My brother and I tend to watch it sometime in the last 2 weeks before Xmas, its just as funny every year.

Clark Jr :P I look forward to watchin Christmas Vacation in December :D
It's a tradition in our house to watch it the same day we put up the fake tree a couple weeks before Xmas every year. One of the funniest movies ever made IMO.

fake tree??????????? they should be outlawed. :mad: growing up in the late 50's & early 60's I remember the silver tree with the color wheel & thinking wow they're U-G-L-Y. Have had a real since I've been out on my own in '73. anyhow Happy holidays to all my friends here. :waving:





68 SS 396 4 spd
disc brakes
tach & guage pkg

Real - always real

We make a day of it, go up to the mountains and trudge around in the mud and the muck. Wife changes her mind about a thousand times while the boys and I just laugh and throw mud at each other.

When she finally richochets back and forth enough and settles on "the" one, I cut it down, we say a few incantations, toss it in the truck and head back down the hill.

When we get home, I set it in a stand and the wife n' kids decorate it while I go wrench on the car.

Now how can you have that kind of fun pulling a plastic tree out of a box in the garage, blowing the dust off of it and unfolding it? :D

Allergies are a great reason for a fake tree, but in my case I will never use anything but real. Itjst isn't the same. Some of you remember in the 60's when they came out with those aluminum trees? Good grief they were tacky, but my father got one strictly for saving money. Since I bought my first one for my own home back in '74 it's always been real. The smell alone is worth the extra money and work
If we had those aluminum trees today, they would probably disrupt our cell phone reception. Who ever dreamed THOSE up? Alcoa?

The first year my wife and I were together, we went looking for a real tree. As we left the first lot (no BLue Spruce), she says to me, "man, it really smelled like pine there". She had never had a real tree growing up. I really like to tease her about that line.

Ever since that year, it has been our tradition to go an cut down a tree. The farm that we go to gives wagon rides to and from the fields. They have hot cider and hot chocolate. Oh, and it supports a local businessman.

For everyone that likes their fake trees, after the holidays, let me tell ya where to store them. :D

A real tree is the only way to go!!!http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/weihnachten/xmas-smiley-009.gif
http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/weihnachten/xmas-smiley-039.gif

I'll be hauling the tree (fake) and decorations out of the storage closet in the next few hours. The wife & kids traditionally set the stuff up the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving.

We went to artificial after the dang cat thought it was cool to climb up inside the real tree, then the dog thought it (the cat) was a squirrel and attacked the 'friggin tree!! :eek: Ever try and get pine sap out of a cats fur?? It ain't like you can bathe 'em! It's like getting bubble gum in your hair.
The cat went around for the next few months looking like a golfball from all the patches of fur trimmed / cut out and missing :D

The early Christians (Roman Catholic Church) didn't "steal" the ancient customs of the Druids and others Byfield.... They rolled a LOT of these seasonal/regional celebrations into Christian holidays to win converts or appease the public.

The first year my wife and I were together, we went looking for a real tree. As we left the first lot (no BLue Spruce), she says to me, "man, it really smelled like pine there". She had never had a real tree growing up. I really like to tease her about that line.

Ever since that year, it has been our tradition to go an cut down a tree. The farm that we go to gives wagon rides to and from the fields. They have hot cider and hot chocolate. Oh, and it supports a local businessman.

For everyone that likes their fake trees, after the holidays, let me tell ya where to store them. :D
A good quality fake will save fuel (put it in your Chevelle instead), preserve an oxygen generating tree, and keep that dead tree out of the landfill. A good quality fake is indiscernable from a real tree and looks GREAT EVERY YEAR. No maintenance and no hassle. If you really want that pine smell, take that tree-shaped air-freshener from your rear view mirror and hang it as an ornament...

We went to artificial after the dang cat thought it was cool to climb up inside the real tree, then the dog thought it (the cat) was a squirrel and attacked the 'friggin tree!! :eek: Ever try and get pine sap out of a cats fur?? It ain't like you can bathe 'em! It's like getting bubble gum in your hair.
The cat went around for the next few months looking like a golfball from all the patches of fur trimmed / cut out and missing :D

"SQUIRREL!!!!!!" "I'm goin' in.":D (from "Christmas Vacation")

3rd person for the "none" box. Just bring the family around and serve up the drinks and stories from the past.........

But we don't have any kids around, otherwise we'd have a fake tree....My dad and I have alergies w/cedar and pine trees

REAL; but I do get tired of finding pine needles in the carpet.........IN JULY.

Not only does FAKE get my vote but prewired is a bonus! :thumbsup:

We just got a new tree (fake) it's 7 1/2 footer all pre wired with lights... THE ONLY WAY TO GO.... Our old one lasted 15 years & still looks fine, it's just too small for the room..

Scott

We just got a new tree (fake) it's 7 1/2 footer all pre wired with lights

We switched from real to fake this year. I think we got the same tree - 7.5 footer, prelit.

I set it up yesterday. Opened the box and went from zero to hero in about 7 minutes, and it looks way better than any real tree we ever had. And will still look good when we take it down in a month. This is a no-brainer.

and it looks way better than any real tree we ever had.

Yeah, ours even has pine cones on it..

Oh Well, life goes on during CHRISTMAS. It just doesn't include Jesus ... I'm just someone who believes
that if it's going to be called " Christmas " then it should be celebrated
as such. Christ-Mass. Instead we get stupid s*** like the Grinch.
How ironic ...

I think that you and I have some common ground. I oppose the commercialization and marketing frenzy that Christmas has become. I have to go a bit farther, though.

Since Christ never asked us to celebrate his birthday, I conclude that Jesus never was in Christmas. At least, no more and no less than any other day of the year. OTOH, he did ask us to remember Passover ("Do this in rememberence of me...") and yet most folks don't. The Christians that Paul and Timothy and the rest wrote to did not celebrate Christmas. Christmas came about because of a Pope's edict, not as a result of the word of God.

Real or fake tree? DOESN'T MATTER. Both are a waste of time and money. Bah Humbug. Most of "Christianity" is not a celebration of Christ's life and opinions, but rather a method for the controll of the masses (pun intended) by people who wear funny hats and claim to be poor while guarding an unimaginable fortune in real estate and artifacts. The "Real Meaning of Christmas" is itself a fraud--an invented (or stolen--see the post about the druids, etc...) holiday.

Clone. But I prefer to call it a "tribute" tree.