As the Christmas season approaches, holiday-goers scramble to shop for last minute gifts and goodies to send. It is an inevitable holiday tradition! However, although there is an excuse for last minute holiday shopping, the Christmas tree should be on the priority since it typically stays up until February…

Of course, that wasn’t always the case. Here’s a mini-history lesson: Oliver Cromwell and the General Court of Massachusetts in the 1600s banned any decorations or joyful expression of Christmas, only approving church services on December 25th. Can you imagine that kind of restriction with the Christmas-frenzy we have in the modern age? Also, surprisingly enough, Pennsylvania was the first state to introduce the display of Christmas trees in the 1830s under the influence of German settlements.

Many holiday carols and jingles mention the oh-so-important Christmas tree. From “O, Christmas Tree” to “All I Want for Christmas,” the tree remains one of the top representations of Christmastime. Or maybe it’s the memories that surround the tree, the place we remember rushing to on Christmas morning as children in search of the gifts Santa left. Perhaps just its cozy presence, with personalized decorations and twinkling lights, make it so inviting and important.

Then the great conflict arises: what kind of Christmas tree does one get? A fake, but durable tree, or the authentic and temporary one?

 A faux Christmas tree is the dark horse, lasting for years, possibly decades with its metal foundations and multiple parts for each layer of the tree. Some pre-made trees also come assembled with built-in lights, which lessens the burden of unraveling the inevitably tangled mess of lights. For just a single purchase, the tree survives each Christmas season and is passed on to others, carrying memories with it as the years go by. As the holiday season passes, the constantly evolving design of the tree allows for simple assembly and dis-assembly. Likewise, you can select the size of the tree that is most suitable for your home. Fake Christmas trees never let you down; the shape stays intact and is perfectly aligned all year, no matter how many times you unbox and package it again.

On the other hand, is the perfect, packaged tree an authentic Christmas tree? Many families continue the holiday tradition of going to the local farm to select the prettiest tree, spending hours reducing the choices to the single, perfect tree. Real Christmas trees incite true holiday spirit with their fresh evergreen pine scent, filling rooms with their festive atmosphere–no candles needed! The excitement of wrapping around your favorite lights and ornaments adds to the anticipation and holiday spirit.

Whether you decide on a faux or real tree, one thing is for sure–it’s not Christmas without the Christmas tree!