Every year, those of us who celebrate Christmas honor the tradition of togetherness and holiday spirit by adorning our living rooms with flamboyantly-decorated pine trees. But along with the joy and spectacle of having a real tree in your house comes the utter regret once you realize the sticky, sappy mess you have to clean up afterward. Once you drag that seven-foot piney mammoth through your front door, there are already countless needles in your carpet and between the cracks in your kitchen tiles that you’ll still be discovering three months later.
I'm fed up with the hassle of a real tree, and I’ve found that an artificial tree is the way to go. All you’ve got to do is assemble it, and you’re done- no recutting, watering or cleaning up necessary. There are many cons to having a real tree in your house. For starters, a real tree can be a fire hazard because it will dry up if you don’t water it regularly. According to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2013 and 2017, U.S. fire departments responded to a yearly average of 160 home fires that started with a Christmas tree. Artificial trees can also arguably be better for the environment- despite being made of plastic, reusing an artificial tree is more eco-friendly than buying its authentic counterpart every year if you keep it for long enough.
My family and I have had our fake tree for three years now, and although I admittedly miss the tradition of going to Home Depot to pick out a tree with my dad, having a fake tree has been much more convenient for us- and I don’t have to worry about getting a giant pine needle in my foot.