By Yazmin Avila Rivas,
Staff Writer.
It’s Christmastime and one often considered essential purchase your family may make is the Christmas tree, but how should you pick one? Which is better? Real or fake? The answers to these questions are all based on your budget, beliefs and preferences.
Some prefer fake trees because of their long-term cost-effectiveness and convenience. Fake trees need to be paid for once, and while they can cost $100 to $700 on average, they are meant to be reused for many years to come. They don’t make much of a mess unlike real trees, which drop needles every day and require watering or else they’ll dry out and become a safety hazard. However, with a fake tree, you won’t have to worry about fires as much as you would with a real tree as long as your tree is labeled as “fire-retardant.” There is also a lack of pollen on them, making them hypoallergenic.
Others may prefer to buy a real tree to lower plastic waste and support local farms. Buying a real tree won’t support companies that harm the environment by producing all the plastic on a fake tree. Also, when you keep a real Christmas tree in your house you’re supporting your own environment since its needles take in carbon dioxide and store it in its trunk, just like it would outdoors. Junior Stephanie Villanueva sides with real trees: “A real Christmas tree is much better because they have a real Christmas scent; it’s more festive.” Real trees create that lovely aroma connected to Christmastime.
Additionally, the process of finding a real tree for your home can be fun. Many tree farms set up activities and decorations for entertainment while you search for a tree. Junior Aurora Hakala ramps up her Christmas spirit when she looks for a Christmas tree at Garlock Tree Farm in Sebastopol: “[It’s] a really cute farm. They have free tractor rides, a bunch of farm animals and a guy dressed up as Santa and it’s fabulous.” Buying a real Christmas tree can create memories for your whole family.
Whether you buy a real or fake Christmas tree, it’s always important to keep in mind how to take care of your tree and any possible safety hazards.
