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

DH grew up with real tree decorated on Christmas Eve.

I grew up with artificial. It must have been quite small too because it stood on the sideboard. No fairy lights just glass baubles. I remember various wire and tinsel trees growing up through the 60s and persuading mum to buy fairy lights.

Once we were married we had a real tree for the first 5 or 6 years but we then switched to plastic. The main reason was cost. Real trees were expensive and we had a growing family and not much cash.

I like the idea of a real tree but can't be bothered with the mess and the cost. I think I will put a tree up but as the DGC aren't coming here this year I certainly won't be going over board with decorating the house.

I don’t get the tears over real trees. Real trees are farmed especially for the purpose, often on land that’s not much use for other agricultural purposes. They absorb carbon dioxide while growing, so help the environment. Bought locally and planted in the garden for next year, or recycled afterwards for mulch or wildlife habitats, they’re a better alternative to a plastic tree shipped over from China. I’ve heard there are people who bin their fake trees regularly to buy the latest trendy colour or shape. Now that’s something to cry about, imho.

I'm not sure that is true. We have had our tree since before DS5 was born he's 24. I won't ever buy another.

When I was a kid we always had a real tree, it stood on the floor in the corner of the lounge and always needed the top cut off. We always had multicoloured lights that took an age to untangle and get working.
As an adult we've always had artificial trees and white lights. I like the smell and look of real trees but not the mess and I've always had pets so easier to avoid the real thing and potential problems with needles etc. We've had our fake one since 1980 and it's quite realistic looking and clearly good value for money, although these days I can't be bothered with decorating it and then packing it all away again a week later.
I can't see what we had as kids has influenced my decision to have a fake one in any way at all. My sister always has a real one and she grew up in the same household.

As a child we always had a real tree and a fresh turkey. I also have real tree and fresh turkey. It would not be Xmas for Mr with an artificial tree or a frozen turkey.

We always had a real tree when I was little. It seemed big at the time but must have been quite small really, as it stood in the hall and I could look down on it as I walked down the stairs. When we got older, Mum and Dad bought a white and silver artificial tree, and we had an artificial one too for the first years of our marriage.

We started having real trees for our younger daughter, because she loves them so much. Now we have one for the grandkids. I have to admit that they are much more beautiful. DH grumbles every year about buying one, particularly as he bought another artificial one several years ago and I won't use it. (Well, I did tell him to take it back.) DH comes from a Hindu family and, obviously, doesn't have childhood memories of Christmas. We've celebrated Christmas together for 45 years now, so he knows the drill. He still doesn't really get "the magic of Christmas", though.

No grumbling this year, anyway, as we are not bothering with a tree. Doesn't seem worth the effort, without the family here.

We always had a real tree, which we children decorated on Christmas Eve (it kept us out of the way while Mum did the Christmas cooking). I did the same thing with my children.

I've never had an artificial tree. My real tree goes up on Christmas eve and comes down on 12th night. I'd have a tree even if I didn't do any other decorating. I don't mind the 'mess and bother' at all.

It is cut up, bagged up and burnt a year later when dried. (should never burn fresh wood on a fire or a log burner).

We had a real tree with candles which were lit for a little while on Christmas eve and also on Christmas day. My mother was German so we had presents from her family on Christmas eve and the English ones on Christmas day. We still have a real tree, but I put it up quite late, always had it up in time for DDs birthday on the 19th. Cats can be a nightmare at Christmas, I had one that used to kill the mini-crackers on the tree, caught another one running away with some tinsel which would have entailed an operation if she had swallowed it! My stepdaughters puppy are a glass bauble a couple of years ago and needed surgery!

Always an artificial tree when I was growing up although we did have a real tree one year. Mum was mortified when the needle dropped off all over the carpet but it smelled lovely when she vacuumed them up!

I'm presently decorating our tree and having a big debate with OH over the lights etc, as we always do! Off to the shops tomorrow for yet more lights as ours look ridiculously sparse! I've a hankering for a real, rooted tree but unicorn poo is easier to find in Nottinghamshire!

Artificial tree when growing up and artificial now. I bought a real one once as I like them but it must be in a pot with roots that can go in the garden afterwards.

We always had artificial trees as a child. I have never had a real tree as I prefer artificial ones. I bought a lovely tree last year and added some nice decorations to it. I love my tree

I grew up with the same very small artificial tree every year. My Mum kept that tree for about 40 years, it was almost bald by the time she died!

When DH and I married we had a real tree for our first Christmas which was then planted in the garden. When the children came along (and pets) we opted for artificial. But each time we moved house we had a real tree again for our 1st Christmas and then planted it in the garden. One of them grew taller than our house!

We currently have a lovely and very natural looking artificial tree with two sets of lights on it so that we can have a sparkling but not OTT effect or full on Disney/Hollywood glamour which the GC seem to prefer. I really love the smell of a real tree in the house but don't want the needles everywhere.

I grew up with real trees, don’t remember anyone having fake back then.
Stuck with real all through my two marriages but now I’m on my own I have a fake tree. Apart from the expense of a real one every year I began to think it’s not very environmentally friendly to grow and chop down trees every year that end up being shredded after a couple of weeks. My fake tree, although not very sustainable when new, after ten years and still looking as good as new is surely better. Besides, fake trees are so much better now and a really good one looks very convincing. The smell of a fresh tree goes after a couple of days. I fake that too, with a Christmas diffuser.
I alternate my tree with a tall branch of twisted willow dressed with lights and little feathered birds some years, just for a change. The branch is real and lives in the garage the rest of the year.

Always had a real tree. When I was a kid we had real candles too. This year however, chose not to have a tree, but a branch with lights. No watering no needles dropping everywhere. I love it.

Always real but no tree this year, as we are moving house next week!

My parents had a real tree and realised that, as a two and a half week old baby (it's my birthday today), l was highly allergic to it (still am) so bought an artificial tree in that highly fashionable sixties silver tinsel. It was about three feet high and had the indoor decorations. We had a long porch and a real tree with lights was put out there. My grandparents always had a small artificial tree too. Needless to say we have always had artificial ones here and they are much more realistic these days. We have a big one in the conservatory and a small one in the living room. I would have been happy with just the small one this year but was overridden by the rest of the family.

Always real tree with real candles

Born in the 50’s and we had an artificial tree. Tbh as a child I thought real Christmas trees were just things we saw on Christmas movies. Families going to the snow covered tree yard and selecting a big tree and tying it to the roof of the car.

Ours was a green 2 ft tree that sat on the sideboard. A string of cone shaped lights that caused much anxiety when the tree plunged into darkness. Dad would work his way round all the bulbs giving them a little twist in the hope they’d light up again. If they didn’t it took more detective work to identify and replace the dud bulb. When all the spares were used he’d set off on the bus to Woolworths for more.

Looking back, the thick branches of the tree resembled toilet brushes. But I can picture myself now standing by the sideboard gazing into the tree and it was a wonderful sight. We couldn’t have been any happier if it had been a real tree that reached the ceiling.

I don't remember fake trees when I was young- we always had a real one. I soon gave up on that when I had my own house & was picking needles out of the carpet in July!!
The fake ones are so good now that I see no point in getting a fake one - plus the cats would climb it (they try with the fake one as it is).I got a beautiful fake tree a couple of years ago in local garden centre's January sale- it is lovely.

Only year I had a real tree the pines got damp somehow and turned my cream carpet green, never again cannot deal with finding pines still in the Spring.

A very small fake tree that looks (from a distance) quite real. When I was little, during WW2, there was, apparently, a shortage of Christmas trees and my Dad brought in a big branch of privet instead, Well, why not? It's evergreen after all! Later we always had real trees until my sisters and I left home and then our parents got and artificial one

Had an artificial one as a child but have had many real ones. Some looked fine in the field then needed top chopping off when we got home. Have also had a live tree growing in a pot which one of the cats decided was a good second litter tray!!!! Now stick to a small artifical tree on one of the cabinets to avoid cat destruction!!

My mother always described me as "lazy" and much as I hated it at the time, she was right. She used to get a real tree and make her own xmas cake, mince pies, sausage rolls. As soon as I left home it was a fake tree for me and shop bought goodies!

Real tree for me always - Christmas tree smell was all part of the festive atmosphere as a child. husband brought an artificial tree with him and after great debate ( and a modicum of stubbornness on my part...) we agreed on usual placement of the real tree and artificial one in dining room and so both happy!! Just had major surgery so was worried this may hinder the trip to get real tree but greater love hath no man as he purchased one for my homecoming

I don’t see the point of a fake tree. It’s the living green in midwinter that is significant. From childhood onwards I’ve always had real ones, and real holly. I can’t manage a real tree now, so I won’t have a tree at all. Nobody is visiting because of the virus, so no-one will know!