Real or Artificial: Which Tree is Right For You?
As far back as I can remember we had a real or cut Christmas tree every holiday season. In my opinion there is no substitution for the aromatic scent of an evergreen, add sparkling ornaments and twinkling lights and you have the centerpiece of Christmas of old.
Over the years, I’ve had lean Christmases, one’s where presents beneath the tree were near non-existent but the one thing we didn’t forgo was a freshly cut Christmas tree.
The Christmas tree or Yule tree as it was sometimes called by non-Christians, can be dated back to 16th century Estonia. Later German churches adopted the tradition of the Christmas tree, and decorated a living tree with apples and called it a Paradise tree. In those days, besides apples, evergreens outside churches were adorned with paper flowers and pretzels for the apprentices of the church to enjoy. Eventually upper class people started bringing the trees into their homes and decorated them with expensive candles as well as the regular fare. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries Christmas trees were introduced to North America mainly from people with German connections. In those days a tree was decorated on Christmas Eve and taken down by January 6th as any time before or after these dates was considered bad luck to have a tree up.
Fast forward to the 20th century where the Christmas tree has become a timeless symbol of the holidays. From Rockefeller center to the South Lawn of the White House, Christmas trees laden with lights and decorations are literally everywhere.
Since it’s humble beginnings the Christmas tree has undergone many transitions, candles became strings of lights, tinsel and glass balls were tossed and replaced by unbreakable plastic ornaments and artificial trees.
The first artificial trees surfaced in the 19th centuries in Germany in response to deforestation concerns. These first trees were made from goose feathers dyed green, after came brush bristle trees, aluminum trees and finally 100 percent recycled PVC trees. Between 2001 and 2007 artificial Christmas tree sales jumped from 7.3 million to 17.4 million in the United States.
I, unlike most others have held fast to the freshly cut Christmas tree tradition, even though my husband has dissuaded me for years saying I was “killing trees” for Christmas. Yet after careful research I have come to realize that real trees aren’t as wrong as I’d initially believed. And in my opinion as long as it’s possible I’ll be investing in the real thing.
The pros of real Christmas trees: They are 100 percent biodegradable, absorb carbon dioxide, clean the air and Christmas tree farms, if well cared for, provide a natural habitat for wildlife and most importantly real trees have the most divine scent.
The cons: They lose needles and can make a mess, they need to be watered regularly, can dry out and if too dry can potentially be a fire hazard. After two weeks inside, Christmas trees can begin producing mold spores that can aggravate allergies in those who are sensitive to molds. They can be expensive because you have to buy a new one every year.
The pros of an artificial tree: They are reusable, year after year. There is no mess, clean up and minimal maintenance. They are also are less a fire risk then cut trees, less allergenic and cheaper.
The cons: An artificial tree needs to be used for twenty years to equal the carbon footprint of one natural cut tree. Discarded trees go to landfill and since they are PVC based they don’t biodegrade for many years. Older artificial trees, nine years plus, can begin to degrade and leech lead and chemicals. Although it hasn’t been documented it stands to reason that after years of use, artificial trees will become dusty and may actually cause allergy symptoms in those sensitive to dust mites.
