Real, unless there's no time or not enough inclination - then fake can be ok. I prefer real though.
Having lived in the high mountains, watching for many years: many tall, thick hundreds-of-year-old trees being chopped down for nothing but human vanity -- I have very strong feelings on this subject.
Every January, I watch people dump baby (and big) ex-christmas trees by the curb for trash pick-up. People give no consideration that these trees are living (and now, dying slowly) beings. They're piled on street corners to be heaved into giant garbage trucks, after the holidays -- slowly turning brown -- after people use them merely to decorate their houses and apartments, and open presents. Then, the trees are tossed outside, losing their life: ignored, except by dogs who piss on them. But to people, they are just ornaments of holiday togetherness: how ironic.
Trees in our national forests have taken centuries and centuries to grow. Some were there before the United States was a country: even before democracy itself was formed in ancient Athens, Greece! And humans brag that they can cut down hundreds-an-hour!
Drive down the interstates and see giant trucks piled with humongous logs which will end up as toilet paper, yesterday's newspaper, and hamburger wrappers, used for ten minutes, and trashed. Fortunately, paper and lumber companies now grow their own tree-farms (because they cut down nearly all old-growth forests).
Anyway, synthetic christmas trees can be used year-after-year. People can buy pine tar for atmosphere -- or, better: go for a romantic holiday walk in the park, or woods, and take a look at the evergreens, and open your presents under **them** -- being thankful that they're still growing.
Every year I take pictures of the dying little trees on the curb -- waiting weeks for the trash truck, turning brown slowly, slowly dying.
Sorry, I have such a strong opinion on this matter.
Enjoy your holidays, and be thankful that you did the right thing for other living beings which can't defend themselves from human vanity.
Wow, would have never thought about some of that stuff...shatterproof glass!? And baby food, oh man.
i love the aroma of a real tree for christmas. cant beat it , but the needles are a bitch. a real tree reminds me of my grandmother , spending christmas with her, a great time.
Fake We've nic named it the Charlie Brown tree
Fake... We can keep it up longer. LOL
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Some trees are used in medicines too. 
