Real tree or not, does it depend on your childhood?

For powered harps read perhaps!

We always had a real tree when I was a child, but for reasons of economy it was an extremely small one, planted out in the garden again each year. The poor thing never really recovered in between - I well remember the boy next door (who I had a crush on at about 14!) saying, ‘Has your Christmas tree had a heart attack?’
Eventually it was pensioned off and left to grow up.
My elder sister, once married with her own house, said before her first Christmas in it, ‘I’m having a BIG Christmas tree!’

For my first married Christmas we were in Oman, where at the time it was often hard to find even real basics in the shops. So I was very excited when a new, proper shop opened - I set off with a friend to find it - partly down dirt tracks, and Oh, joy! They actually had Christmas trees - the fakest things imaginable, no more than 3 feet, with ‘branches’ of sort of green and white tinsel that you just bent out.
But it came with lights and a few baubles - I was so happy with tree! I don’t think anyone else on our compound had one at all.

When I was little we always had a real tree and my dad would bring it home 3/4 days before xmas from the market along with a massive turkey which mum had to pluck and stuff.
Over the years when ACs where at home we always had a real tree in family room and artificial one in the hall.
I now have a 6ft nicely shaped conifer outside my front door which has lights on and in my lounge which is not huge I have a "half" tree which is prelite and hangs on the wall it stops my cat attacking it and saves space,it does look delightful but I miss my real tree.

That’s interesting @MawB - and the fact that they were referred to as ‘Yule vacations’ would indicate that it was seen as a largely pagan festival in 1640.

Though IMO it always has been, the merging of the old Midwinter Day jollifications with the Christian festival. It’s still called Yule (Jul) in Sweden.

I suspect that this is why Christmas still tends to be a bigger thing in Northern European countries, where they were in greater need of Midwinter jollifications, than in warmer, more Southern European ditto.

We've had both. Real as a child, real & artificial as an adult. Real, of late. Much to the delight of my moggies.

Always a real one, from childhood onwards.
I hate plastic imitations, however realistic.
My children insist on real ones, although i don't think their partners are thrilled.

Except for a few years when the only option was the fakest-of-fakes in my previous post, we’ve always had real trees.
A cut one in the sitting room, a small potted one outside the front door. That usually lasts 2-3 years until it’s either too big or looking too sad. Unfortunately there’s no room in our small garden to plant it out.

No in our case it depends of if you have or had cats, we used to live in the country and our two cats who were born on a farm used to love climbing trees especially the girl. A real tree in the house was a treat for her and a disaster to us. Although she is long gone we have never gone back to a real one.

What an interesting thread, jaxjacky! I'd say that childhood trees influenced both me & DH, because we each had real ones. (Though like other GNs here, I can well remember seeing artificial trees in the 1950s.) In over 35 years together, DH & I have mostly continued with real trees, though for a few years we had an artificial tree - because it was less attractive to our active cats! Now on our own, we buy a British grown "living" potted tree, which usually comes inside for at least two Christmases. This year's tree is our smallest ever; it's about two feet tall. (Our previous living Christmas tree is planted in the garden; it was starting to look a bit unwell. If it dies, then it'll go into the wildlife log-pile.)

I love real trees but don't have room in my boat so I put one on my jetty with solar lights on. I have a gorgeous skinny artificial tree inside. Not up yet though. Too early.

ALWAYS real. I love the smell. My mother eventually had a fake one which I hated but understood her reasoning as she got older.

Many years ago I was a volunteer Ranger on Ashdown Forest. We would sell Scots Pines from the Forest and us Rangers got a freeby. They not only look lovely but don't drop their needles.

We now have our own trees in our wood, but not as nice as the Scots Pines and of course they drop their needles.

Nowadays if the family aren't coming I decorate branches from our walnut or twisted willow trees all around the house. they look lovely too.

As my father was in the RAF and we moved a lot, I don't remember always having a tree until the mid 1960s when we had a 4 ft silver tinsel tree. I thought it was beautiful! We often went to my aunt's for Christmas and she had a real tree. Since marrying in 1978, we've always had a real tree but now also have an additional artificial snowy one in the dining room where all decorations are nature themed.

Real tree in childhood and own home up until about 3 years ago. The cost of real is exorbitant now. To fill the corner I need one 8/9 feet tall. Invested in artificial one I found a few days before Christmas in John Lewis sale and I love it. Won't be having any decorations up this year as I am Christmased out already! Folks in the street have enough lights up to power a city.

I thought I was the only one not bothering putting my tree up this year, was feeling like the Christmas Grinch, so it has made me feel so much better to read other people arent bothering either. I live alone, and no longer look after grandchildren who are now teenagers, and in the current situation no-one comes round anyway so there is only me to see it and I am really not in the mood. The thought of all the mess putting it up , then again taking it down puts me right off.

We always had an artificial tree, but thinking back all my friends did too. Always remember my mum crying as she put ornaments on it my granny, who was no longer with us, had given her. We did the throwing cotton wool on it too and I can't stand the stuff. Gives me the heeby jeebies

As a child real trees, to which my father would attach real candles and light them!!!!!! Never had an accident, though.
Now the one we have is artificial but with a 'snow' covering which makes as much mess and the pine needles did.

Always had a real tree, usually quite small, but, oh the scent of pine needles is the scent of Christmas! All but for a couple of years ago when I was having chemo and was told not to touch plants, I've had a real tree. I don't put it up until the week before Christmas. Our family were mindful that Advent was a time of waiting, and Christmas was not declared until 24th. December. I am not religious any more, but for me, it is a celebration of family and humanity. My daughters used to complain that "everybody" had theirs up at the end of November, but now they thank me for making Christmas really special. I bought my tree yesterday, but it will stay in a bucket of water outside until I am ready to 'deck the halls'. All the ritual of selecting the 'best' tree, sawing off the base of the trunk and then wedging it into the holder, then the debate about the lights and the baubles, was so very special. I hope that my 5 year old grandson and my daughter (my bubble) will help me decorate this year. I don't worry about the pine needles, I've got a robot cleaner which will get the dropped needles very efficiently!

We always had real trees when I was young, but now, for purely practical reasons (I am very old!) my pretty little artificial one is best and I do decorate it nicely.

My parents were rather pared back at Christmas; artificial tree, bare bones Christmas dinner; no decorations other than on the tree; no religion (although both would have said CoE if asked.)

During my marriage I went completely the other way, over the top in everything. I was giving myself the Christmases I'd wanted as a child. Huge, real trees smothered in ornaments, multi-course dinners for twenty or thirty, midnight mass, the works,

Now I'm a widow I've eased back a bit. The tree is smaller, and artificial. I'm only cooking for 6 this year. But otherwise, I still try to have a real Christmas, not the slightly mean ones of my youth.

We have a fake tree cos our female dog loves a real one and scratches herself under the branches sending baubles and needles everywhere. She doesn't do it to the fake tree.

We always had real trees until last year when we had a 5 month old puppy lolloping around the place. We bought a very realistic, prelit artificial tree which was put up on the landing and afterwards we put it in the loft. I think it will come out again this year although my enthusiasm is waning. We have boxes and boxes of decorations in the loft including the Fairy that adorned the trees of my childhood. She is the ugliest thing and a bit of a joke but my children have forbidden me to throw her away.

Never had a real tree in my whole life, either growing up or in all my life since. Seems an awful waste of a living thing. We have always had a nice artificial tree and kept the same one for many years.

We've only tried a real tree a couple of times over the years! But- i put my 22yr old son in charge of decorations this year- and he (says) HE CAN'T FIND THE TREE !!??He often 'cant find' stuff, then we eventually find them(like our decorating ladder he found in his shed 3wks ago after looking for months!) So as id just bought the (missing) tree new in sales for last xmas I refuse to buy another fake one (in case other 'turns up') i may buy a smallish real one for this year only! He's excelled himself this year!???‍♀️?

First tree I bought was when I was 16. Went home and younger siblings were crying as mum had no money for a tree. So walked 2miles to the jewellery shop and sold an eternity ring an ex BF had given me for 30 shillings and bought a Xmas tree from the greengrocers on the way back for the same price. We all made paper lanterns coloured with crayons to decorate it. Were a v poor family in those days but sibling were so happy with it.

Same here tanith,i just can`t be bothered.