Christmas tree ~ Fresh or Artificial

When we moved to Wisconsin, buying a real Christmas Tree had become harder, and a real chore...the ice and snow, the cold wind, the lack of finding a truly fresh tree, not one sprayed green, wanting one that is symmetrical.

As the years passed it just got more uncomfortable to do this chore, and yes it became a chore...then I discovered a nice tree at Michael's Art & Craft store.... and thought, my gosh this looks like a real tree! why not use this? For the past years our Christmas Tree has been an "artificial tree" You say, but what about the smell? I buy branches for decorations, this brings in the Christmas tree smell.

When you're young and can go out and find a wonderful fresh tree, that's wonderful! As for now, I have to use the artificial tree for my own comfort and pleasure, this includes no watering of a tree, no vacuuming of dried needles, less of a fire hazard, no disposing and easy cleanup.

I do love real trees, the smell and look, but the choice I made for the type of Christmas tree to use, was for my personal reason of comfort and convenience...

This story is about bringing together an artificial tree, not an expensive one, but nonetheless one that does the trick...all within the comforts of a warm home from start to finish...so grab a glass of wine or what ever you fancy and help me assemble and decorate the artificial Christmas tree.

In this beautifully hand painted 1860s Pennsylvania Dutch chest of drawers, is where I keep all my good, collectible and personal Christmas decorations and ornaments...I place the drawers on my coffee table and then hang the ornaments according to the drawer, this way they always go back into their boxes and drawer number.

Plain Xmas bulbs, lights and such items are kept in containers in the downstairs room. I have arranged and cataloged each item for easy return storage.

Top drawer has display items, second drawer holds old German, Austrian, Swedish and Czechoslovakian ornaments. Third drawer has Deer, Birds and Santa ornaments and items for decorating. Fourth drawer is full of collectible Horse ornaments.

For many, many years I have collected horse ornaments, and at the height of my horse breeding ownership, I adorned my tree with approximately 250+ horse ornaments (which I’m selling now)

In 2008 my last horse went into the Pearly Gates. That Christmas I did not use one horse ornament because my heart was heavy. I then realized I had just as many "other" ornaments and decorated my tree with those.

The assembly of each section was secured and a Tree came together...now the lights and decorations.

A Note:

I purchased this tree at an after Xmas sale, it was inexpensive but does the trick for us. One can spend a great deal more for an artificial tree and get an incredible affect...in the long run it pays for itself.

It's a process of layering the ornaments, this is what makes it look full. Too bad you can't see the ornaments in and under the branches, there are also many Antique bulbs in there.

This church is the very church I saw everyday across the street from where I lived

(photo Besther'sBigAdventure)

I have very few memories of my German Christmas time...we had migrated south to Garmisch Bavaria when the war was ending. I remember only two Wartime Xmas. One was in the Castle Gross Stein, where a soldier friend of my parents gave small toy gifts for my sister and me...how strange I would remember this, as I was maybe 3 years old...sadly I only remember two times we had celebrated Christmas in my early German youth.

During my childhood in Bavaria I especially remember how we celebrated with the Advent Wreath (Adventskranz) and the Advent Calendar (something I still do) we only received ONE gift, it would be under the tree covered with a tablecloth, you were not able to see the tree till Christmas Eve, then with candles lit, we celebrated our time together singing songs and praising God.

Saint Nickolas would come with a sack of presents, with him came a dark evil looking man Knecht Ruprecht who would have a switch in his hand, asking if you have been a good little boy or girl...I didn't like that part.

The tree then was taken down a week later in yearly January during a celebrated day.

I don't have one photo of our Christmas at that time, they where all lost during our many moves.

photo from "An Extremely Wise and Merry Christmas to you all"

I love German Christmas trees, sadly I have two memories of our tree there during my childhood.

Personally I do not recommend real candles, they can be very dangerous especially when unattended....now they make artificial candles that look so real.

and a setting to dream about

Being an evergreen coniferous some call it a Yule tree, it's decorated with ornaments and candles/lights. There are many species of the evergreen, but most commonly used, the Fir.

Starting in the 16th century in Livonia and in Germany, the decorating of the tree became a tradition for Christmas time. A Star or an Angel was placed at the very top of the tree, representing the Angels around the manger or the Star of Bethlehem.

The tradition of the Christmas tree then started to travel the world, and actually it is not that of an old tradition here in America. Different countries had different traditional decorations. Nowadays, families like decorating to style and colors...I personally like the old traditional.

can look real and beautiful

Around the 19th century The Germans developed an artificial Christmas tree, most where made with wood and goose feathers and dyed green. This was a good excuse for the purpose of continuing deforestation. The feather tree made it's way to America and became popular for a while.

The artificial tree can be made from different products and can look so real, but this can be very costly, yet it pays for itself over time.

do you remember these?

The aluminum Christmas tree is an artificial Christmas tree first made in Chicago by a company named Modern Coatings, Inc...but most (more then a million) where produced near here in Manitowoc, Wisconsin by an Aluminum Co.

When the Charlie Brown Christmas TV show Aired in 1965 it helped end the era of the Aluminum Tree... and then in the 80's collectors found them in garage sales and auctions, the 7ft Pink tree in particular sold for thousands of dollars.

I have seen a comeback of this tree in stores last Christmas, yep they are coming back!

Yes, Charlie Brown helped end the Aluminum Tree era because this is what he chose!

Sadly I remember our first Christmas tree in the USA resembled this one….now I can laugh.

I know most people would opt for the 'real' tree, and I also love the real Christmas Tree, but it's not an option for me, so looking into the alternative of an artificial Tree, you can still have enjoyment of admiring a beautifully decorated tree....

in the cold or the comfort of you home...I made my choice!

something to think about

The argument for the environmentally friendly...cutting down a tree verses throwing an old artificial tree in the dumps...to me it's kind of an Oxymoron because there should be a solution for disposing artificial trees with some sort of recycling. The real tree once chopped down has a new tree planted in it's place.

My argument for an Artificial tree is "only convenience and comfort." Yes I really would prefer a fresh cut, fresh smelling Christmas tree.

Do you have an environmental stance?

A true story:

The true story behind the people and the ships fate...

Some time in October of 1971 a Milwaukee scuba diver named Gordon Kent Bellrichard had surveyed an area in Lake Michigan off the coastal area by Two Rivers Wisconsin.

Bellrichard had been searching for a ship named Verona, a 700 Ton Steamer that was lost during a 1887 storm, but instead he discovered another ship, it was the schooner Rouse Simmons known also as The Christmas Tree Ship that sunk during a storm in 1912....

Read this very interesting story from the National Archives