MANLIUS N.Y. (NCC News) – A debate as old as most can remember is back for the holiday season as to what kind of Christmas tree to buy, real or artificial. Every year people argue real trees are better than fake and vice versa, but there is never a true winner. It is up to people to decide what is best for them to celebrate the holiday season.
Page’s Christmas Tree Farm owner, Cindy Page, says she prefers real trees to fake ones because for the past 35 years she and her husband have been running their Christmas tree farm. She said they started the farm so they could help pay their children’s tuition. Page says real Christmas trees give off a different type of mood compared to an artificial tree.
“They have a wonderful smell, it’s tradition and it’s just lovely to have the soft branches and put the ornaments in a real tree,” Page said.
However, Melissa and Dale Hanavan are artificial tree owners and said the process to put up an artificial tree is easier than a real tree. They have had their current tree for the about six years now and say it is a tradition to put it up as a family.
Melissa said there is one thing about an artificial tree that makes them better than real trees.
“I absolutely love the convenience of having the artificial tree, not having to go out and buy a tree every year,” Hanavan said.
While there are personal reasons as to why people decide to buy a Christmas tree, whether it is based on smell, convince, and/or tradition, there is also an environmental aspect that goes along with the debate.
Page said she has heard the occasional story about how cutting trees is bad for the environment and how it hurts the soil, but she says that is wrong.
“It provides habitat, its green plants and they provide oxygen too,” Page said.
Hanavan has a different viewpoint when it comes to the environmental aspect. She said a real tree has to be watered often and if not it could dry up and potentially start a fire due to the lights. She also said by having to water the tree all the time, it could increase your water bill.
“So you have to make sure that you water it constantly, whereas an artificial tree you don’t have to worry about doing that,” Hanavan said.
According to the The Nature Conservatory real trees are better for the environment because they help fight climate change by providing health habitats to forests, while also giving a home to wildlife. However, people argue against this because even though artificial trees are made of petroleum products and give off carbon emissions, they are reusable for 10+ years.
Moreover, it is up to the person to decide whether a real or artificial tree is best for them to celebrate the holiday season.
