A rebuttal to Lauren's entry!
I have no beef with people not liking real trees. I don't think you have three heads at all!
But here's the beef I have with fake trees.
In accordance with your scenario one, Pope Matt and I fought no crowds on a beautiful day to find a tree. Found it at the first place we went, in about 20 minutes. 45 bucks, especially split between 3 people is not bad at all. Sure this is not the case all the time, but it makes those times all the more special! Also, the people who wrap up the tree put the tree on your car for you, so that takes care of that.
The effort it takes to take the tree from the car is probably about the same as the effort it takes to go through all the crap one has in their basement or attic, to find the tree and bring it out.
The train of pine needles that is left by the tree can easily be vacuumed up and then your vaccuum will smell like christmas for months to come.
And who says that getting and decorating a tree isn't quality time with the family (or friends, for that matter?)? Even the trip from hell, which happened many years ago when my sister was around 3, my family and I went to PA to find a tree to chop down. We were cold, tired, cranky, and worst of all, we videotaped the whole thing. But I look back at it now and laugh...we all do, and I'm so glad we did it. It's a great memory!
And sipping hot chocolate(i don't like eggnog) in front of the finished tree with REAL rosy cheeks from being outside and exhaustion from the whole process, is all the more sweet because it's the reward for a job well done, as well as the wonderful memories I have.
And I don't care what anyone says, I CAN tell the difference between a real tree and a fake one. I don't want to have to plug in the tree smell. Besides, it is the imperfections that make a real tree perfect.
Yes, I do kinda feel bad for killing a tree each year...but I eat a turkey each year too. Same thing. And it does suck when the tree falls, but shit happens. And the tree falls once every 8 years so far haha.
Really, what it comes down to folks, is the special things that make you happy. Spending quality time with friends and family is what Christmas, to me, is all about. It's about the traditions you keep that make you unique and bring joy in your life. I'm not a religious person, so I can't really say it's about Christ to me anymore. Maybe that will change when I have kids. That's a digression.
So whether you spend that quality time getting an almost fully assembled tree from your basement together, or freezing your ass off to buy something you're just gonna chuck out the front door in a few weeks so it can be recycled for mulch, if it is part of your christmas tradition and it makes you happy, that's what's important!
But here's the beef I have with fake trees.
In accordance with your scenario one, Pope Matt and I fought no crowds on a beautiful day to find a tree. Found it at the first place we went, in about 20 minutes. 45 bucks, especially split between 3 people is not bad at all. Sure this is not the case all the time, but it makes those times all the more special! Also, the people who wrap up the tree put the tree on your car for you, so that takes care of that.
The effort it takes to take the tree from the car is probably about the same as the effort it takes to go through all the crap one has in their basement or attic, to find the tree and bring it out.
The train of pine needles that is left by the tree can easily be vacuumed up and then your vaccuum will smell like christmas for months to come.
And who says that getting and decorating a tree isn't quality time with the family (or friends, for that matter?)? Even the trip from hell, which happened many years ago when my sister was around 3, my family and I went to PA to find a tree to chop down. We were cold, tired, cranky, and worst of all, we videotaped the whole thing. But I look back at it now and laugh...we all do, and I'm so glad we did it. It's a great memory!
And sipping hot chocolate(i don't like eggnog) in front of the finished tree with REAL rosy cheeks from being outside and exhaustion from the whole process, is all the more sweet because it's the reward for a job well done, as well as the wonderful memories I have.
And I don't care what anyone says, I CAN tell the difference between a real tree and a fake one. I don't want to have to plug in the tree smell. Besides, it is the imperfections that make a real tree perfect.
Yes, I do kinda feel bad for killing a tree each year...but I eat a turkey each year too. Same thing. And it does suck when the tree falls, but shit happens. And the tree falls once every 8 years so far haha.
Really, what it comes down to folks, is the special things that make you happy. Spending quality time with friends and family is what Christmas, to me, is all about. It's about the traditions you keep that make you unique and bring joy in your life. I'm not a religious person, so I can't really say it's about Christ to me anymore. Maybe that will change when I have kids. That's a digression.
So whether you spend that quality time getting an almost fully assembled tree from your basement together, or freezing your ass off to buy something you're just gonna chuck out the front door in a few weeks so it can be recycled for mulch, if it is part of your christmas tradition and it makes you happy, that's what's important!