Christmas Tree Discussion

[Winland]

We got some potted palm trees around we can use for xmas trees.

[Dread Lady Nathicana]

I remember once when I was little, we cut our own tree - got the permit, went out in the snow, found just the right one ... it was awesome. For the longest time, we would at least go get a real one. I protested loudly when they got a fake the first time. I stubbornly persisted in my 'grr, argh, not real' argument for years. I still miss the smell and look tbh.

When we moved out here to Iowa, my folks came out at that first Thanksgiving, and bought us a very nice fake one, with a nifty light base that can change colors and patterns through a rotating disc system and fiber optics. Part of me was thankful. Part of me was still somewhat bitter. Point of fact is, with all the other expense of the holidays, the ridiculous prices folks charge for a tree these days makes it a bit prohibitive, and taking good care of a nice fake tree can get you more than your money's worth for a lot of years. And no drying out, needles all over, extra fire risk, and disposal issues to boot.

Man I hate the modern age sometimes. >_<

Still, it's nice to have up when we can. On the years we've traveled back to Utah for Christmas, we haven't put one up due to the extra bother, and our front room here having not a lot of room to begin with. I think I'm getting old and crabby, because nowadays, it seems the holidays overall are more stress and less enjoyment, and we as a people seem to have more or less lost the real meaning behind them: Time with family, sharing good memories with those you love, charity, thankfulness, giving, and even forgiving, renewing hopes for the year ahead, and other good things.

Instead it's sale this, and hurry up and buy that, and oh look, extended hours we're gonna force our people to work, denying them their own fair share of holiday so that the rest of you sheep can get your asses in here and spend more money on overpriced items that are largely unneeded, but advertised with such ferocity that you'll believe you can't live without them, all in an effort to satisfy the growing attitude of 'me, mine, want, deserve, everyone else has'.

Yeah, guess you could say I'm getting a little burned out. I do miss growing up where yes, we spent time pouring over the big Sears catalog and dreaming of all the incredible things we found, but at the same time, emphasis was on family, and giving. We spent more time planning on what to get others. My folks always had a Secret/Sub for Santa project. One year, when our cousins were in a particularly bad spot, we gave up a good chunk of our Christmas to make sure they had one. My parents didn't take care of it all - we all did, as a family, going out and actively taking part in choosing and wrapping and delivering.

So yes. We're down to fake trees, and attempting to keep the spirit amidst all the stress and greed. Huzzah. /rant

[L Ron Cupboard]

If only Monsanto would put aside their evil ways, and genetically engineer a Christmas tree that would live happily as a house plant in a centrally-heated room. With their resources it would have been my second project.

[Serrland]

A nice tiny little fake one that can sit nice on my coffee table. I'll go to my folks' place on Christmas morning, so no need to worry too much about decorating and all that stuff. A few baubles and a little angel on top, that'll do I think.

[Democratic Koyro]

I don't put a tree up, or any form of decoration.

[Esternial]

In this case, fake is better

[Novaya Tselinoyarsk]

I'd much rather do a real tree, but just can't be arsed to go out and get one. No place around here that is anywhere close by (read: less then 50 miles away), and all the trees around here are protected property.

[Megaloria]

We get a real, 8 foot tall, ten foot wide (at the base) bushy monster of a treee ach year and put it up usually the second week of December to ensure that it's still retaining needles well into the new year. We take it down second week of January, and trim off all the boughs to use as insulation for the garden.

[SquareDisc City]

A 5 foot artificial tree we have goes up a few days before Christmas, and is decorated by myself and my mum with lots of arguments. It stays up until I can be bothered to remove it; last year, that was February.

We used to get real trees, but one too many vacuum cleaners destroyed from picking up the needle drop made us stop. When we did, we normally got potted ones, and sometimes planted them in the garden after Christmas. One of these in our current house established and is now an 8 foot high spruce that I'm minded to put some outdoor lights on.

[Esternial]

I remember once when I was little, we cut our own tree - got the permit, went out in the snow, found just the right one ... it was awesome. For the longest time, we would at least go get a real one. I protested loudly when they got a fake the first time. I stubbornly persisted in my 'grr, argh, not real' argument for years. I still miss the smell and look tbh.

When we moved out here to Iowa, my folks came out at that first Thanksgiving, and bought us a very nice fake one, with a nifty light base that can change colors and patterns through a rotating disc system and fiber optics. Part of me was thankful. Part of me was still somewhat bitter. Point of fact is, with all the other expense of the holidays, the ridiculous prices folks charge for a tree these days makes it a bit prohibitive, and taking good care of a nice fake tree can get you more than your money's worth for a lot of years. And no drying out, needles all over, extra fire risk, and disposal issues to boot.

Man I hate the modern age sometimes. >_<

Still, it's nice to have up when we can. On the years we've traveled back to Utah for Christmas, we haven't put one up due to the extra bother, and our front room here having not a lot of room to begin with. I think I'm getting old and crabby, because nowadays, it seems the holidays overall are more stress and less enjoyment, and we as a people seem to have more or less lost the real meaning behind them: Time with family, sharing good memories with those you love, charity, thankfulness, giving, and even forgiving, renewing hopes for the year ahead, and other good things.

Instead it's sale this, and hurry up and buy that, and oh look, extended hours we're gonna force our people to work, denying them their own fair share of holiday so that the rest of you sheep can get your asses in here and spend more money on overpriced items that are largely unneeded, but advertised with such ferocity that you'll believe you can't live without them, all in an effort to satisfy the growing attitude of 'me, mine, want, deserve, everyone else has'.

Yeah, guess you could say I'm getting a little burned out. I do miss growing up where yes, we spent time pouring over the big Sears catalog and dreaming of all the incredible things we found, but at the same time, emphasis was on family, and giving. We spent more time planning on what to get others. My folks always had a Secret/Sub for Santa project. One year, when our cousins were in a particularly bad spot, we gave up a good chunk of our Christmas to make sure they had one. My parents didn't take care of it all - we all did, as a family, going out and actively taking part in choosing and wrapping and delivering.

So yes. We're down to fake trees, and attempting to keep the spirit amidst all the stress and greed. Huzzah. /rant

So I didn't read all of this, but if I get it straight I should give you a Christmas tree with a lot of changing colours and patterns.

[Serrland]

You know, the more I think of it, maybe I'll get a itty bitty live one. I miss having that nice Christmas smell - the smell of cold mixed with pine and mulled wine.

[Megaloria]

You know, the more I think of it, maybe I'll get a itty bitty live one. I miss having that nice Christmas smell - the smell of cold mixed with pine and mulled wine.

This may be the most important part of the whole tree experience.

[Ashmoria]

You know, the more I think of it, maybe I'll get a itty bitty live one. I miss having that nice Christmas smell - the smell of cold mixed with pine and mulled wine.

here in new mexico the smell of christmas is the juniper smoke coming from people's fireplaces and wood stoves. it is so very nice to be out walking the dogs and smelling that beautiful scent.

(ok maybe its only the scent of christmas to me, i didnt grow up here.)

i bought a little christmas wreath at walmart of friday. that is going to be the limit of my decorations this year.

[Khelshar]

Maybe a week or two before Christmas, we will got and buy a real tree, and make it ready. We will start decorating it a week before Christmas. And then we start laying present under it! I can barley wait for Christmas!

[Wind in the Willows]

A fake one.

[The Cosmos]

I remember once when I was little, we cut our own tree - got the permit, went out in the snow, found just the right one ... it was awesome. For the longest time, we would at least go get a real one. I protested loudly when they got a fake the first time. I stubbornly persisted in my 'grr, argh, not real' argument for years. I still miss the smell and look tbh.

When we moved out here to Iowa, my folks came out at that first Thanksgiving, and bought us a very nice fake one, with a nifty light base that can change colors and patterns through a rotating disc system and fiber optics. Part of me was thankful. Part of me was still somewhat bitter. Point of fact is, with all the other expense of the holidays, the ridiculous prices folks charge for a tree these days makes it a bit prohibitive, and taking good care of a nice fake tree can get you more than your money's worth for a lot of years. And no drying out, needles all over, extra fire risk, and disposal issues to boot.

Man I hate the modern age sometimes. >_<

Still, it's nice to have up when we can. On the years we've traveled back to Utah for Christmas, we haven't put one up due to the extra bother, and our front room here having not a lot of room to begin with. I think I'm getting old and crabby, because nowadays, it seems the holidays overall are more stress and less enjoyment, and we as a people seem to have more or less lost the real meaning behind them: Time with family, sharing good memories with those you love, charity, thankfulness, giving, and even forgiving, renewing hopes for the year ahead, and other good things.

Instead it's sale this, and hurry up and buy that, and oh look, extended hours we're gonna force our people to work, denying them their own fair share of holiday so that the rest of you sheep can get your asses in here and spend more money on overpriced items that are largely unneeded, but advertised with such ferocity that you'll believe you can't live without them, all in an effort to satisfy the growing attitude of 'me, mine, want, deserve, everyone else has'.

Yeah, guess you could say I'm getting a little burned out. I do miss growing up where yes, we spent time pouring over the big Sears catalog and dreaming of all the incredible things we found, but at the same time, emphasis was on family, and giving. We spent more time planning on what to get others. My folks always had a Secret/Sub for Santa project. One year, when our cousins were in a particularly bad spot, we gave up a good chunk of our Christmas to make sure they had one. My parents didn't take care of it all - we all did, as a family, going out and actively taking part in choosing and wrapping and delivering.

So yes. We're down to fake trees, and attempting to keep the spirit amidst all the stress and greed. Huzzah. /rant

It took me four days to read your post. All I can say is that you should write and publish an autobiography.

[Broccoli]

I remember once when I was little, we cut our own tree - got the permit, went out in the snow, found just the right one ... it was awesome. For the longest time, we would at least go get a real one. I protested loudly when they got a fake the first time. I stubbornly persisted in my 'grr, argh, not real' argument for years. I still miss the smell and look tbh.

When we moved out here to Iowa, my folks came out at that first Thanksgiving, and bought us a very nice fake one, with a nifty light base that can change colors and patterns through a rotating disc system and fiber optics. Part of me was thankful. Part of me was still somewhat bitter. Point of fact is, with all the other expense of the holidays, the ridiculous prices folks charge for a tree these days makes it a bit prohibitive, and taking good care of a nice fake tree can get you more than your money's worth for a lot of years. And no drying out, needles all over, extra fire risk, and disposal issues to boot.

Man I hate the modern age sometimes. >_<

Still, it's nice to have up when we can. On the years we've traveled back to Utah for Christmas, we haven't put one up due to the extra bother, and our front room here having not a lot of room to begin with. I think I'm getting old and crabby, because nowadays, it seems the holidays overall are more stress and less enjoyment, and we as a people seem to have more or less lost the real meaning behind them: Time with family, sharing good memories with those you love, charity, thankfulness, giving, and even forgiving, renewing hopes for the year ahead, and other good things.

Instead it's sale this, and hurry up and buy that, and oh look, extended hours we're gonna force our people to work, denying them their own fair share of holiday so that the rest of you sheep can get your asses in here and spend more money on overpriced items that are largely unneeded, but advertised with such ferocity that you'll believe you can't live without them, all in an effort to satisfy the growing attitude of 'me, mine, want, deserve, everyone else has'.

Yeah, guess you could say I'm getting a little burned out. I do miss growing up where yes, we spent time pouring over the big Sears catalog and dreaming of all the incredible things we found, but at the same time, emphasis was on family, and giving. We spent more time planning on what to get others. My folks always had a Secret/Sub for Santa project. One year, when our cousins were in a particularly bad spot, we gave up a good chunk of our Christmas to make sure they had one. My parents didn't take care of it all - we all did, as a family, going out and actively taking part in choosing and wrapping and delivering.

So yes. We're down to fake trees, and attempting to keep the spirit amidst all the stress and greed. Huzzah. /rant

It took me four days to read your post. All I can say is that you should write and publish an autobiography.

The least you could do was put Nathicana's post in a spoiler.

[Uirokeilendh]

I prefer the Newtonmas tree

[TaQud]

I leave it up all year round

Whenever I see that I think of the Garfield Comics

[Aglrinia]

I'll buy a fake one. I think the cutting of real trees just for this purpose should be banned to protect the nature.

YESYESYES. Don't chop of trees!

You've never heard of a Christmas tree farm have you? Where pine trees are grown just to be cut for Christmas trees. That's basically like saying don't harvest that corn it's been there for a couple months... and it was... just planted... by that farmer...!

[Broccoli]

YESYESYES. Don't chop of trees!

You've never heard of a Christmas tree farm have you? Where pine trees are grown just to be cut for Christmas trees. That's basically like saying don't harvest that corn it's been there for a couple months... and it was... just planted... by that farmer...!

Or like don't eat that broccoli we just planted it...its nature. BROCCOLI IS MEANT FOR EATING!

[The Cosmos]

That was random.

[Broccoli]

That was random.

I'm a random person.

[New Rogernomics]

My parents have a secular household, there is no Christmas tree and we don't do Christmas things.

[Caninope]

How can anyone make a real tree last from before Thanksgiving (especially on years like this)?

It's hard enough making them last for the month of December without losing color and needles. That could just be my experience though, with my black thumb and all.