Gift Giving Guy

We switched sides on one of the great Christmas debates: the real live Christmas tree versus the artificial Christmas tree. Until now, every tree I’ve put gifts under was a live tree: balsam firs, blue spruces, Douglas firs and Fraser firs.

Today, we visited Sturtevant, Wisconsin to pick out a pre-lit artificial tree at Milaeger’s. We chose a seven-and-a-half-foot Wisconsin Balsam Supreme with 2,749 tree tips and 1,120 white lights. Looking up close, Milaeger’s “almost real tree” might fool you.

So why the switch to an artificial tree? Live trees have disappointed us in the last few years. Our trees leaned at odd angles, even crashing to the floor one year. Several have left water damage on our hardwood floors. Some have lost needles too soon. (We like to keep the tree up through the 12 days of Christmas, ending on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6.) Despite persistent vacuuming, we’d still find fir needles in our living room through April with a real tree.

So, for this Christmas, and probably the next nine, we’ll gather our gifts under the “almost real” balsam fir tree.