5 Reasons to Buy a Real Christmas Tree

Their scent and environmental benefits make them a good bet.

Real or fake? That question can apply to body parts, handbags and, yes, even Christmas trees. Which way will you go this holiday season, and do your family members agree with you? Die-hard proponents of real Christmas trees often clash with those who favor the artificial variety. Here are five reasons to purchase a real Christmas tree this season.

The Environment: You’d think that buying a fake Christmas tree and using it for the next decade would be more environmentally friendly than cutting down a Douglas fir or pine every year, but artificial Christmas trees have ecological drawbacks.  Slate.com has noted that “the needles on artificial trees are usually made from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, … a major source of dioxins,” which are toxic chemicals that can harm the reproductive, cause cancer and hurt the immune system.  “To make matters worse, cheap PVC is sometimes stabilized with lead, which can break free as harmful dust as a fake tree ages,” Slate reports. Even Christmas trees advertised as “eco-friendly” still contain dioxins, Slate reports.

Their Scent: Real Christmas trees will fill your home with the comforting scent of pine. What better way to get into the Christmas spirit?

Trees for Troops: Buying a real Christmas tree provides a way to support the men and women in the armed forces and their families. Trees for Troops has distributed 103,186 Christmas trees to military families and troops domestically and abroad since 2005. This is made possible not only from cash contributions but from members of the public donating Christmas trees to servicemen and women and their families.

Made in America: Most artificial Christmas trees are made in China. Buying a real Christmas tree is a way to give American Christmas tree farmers a boost and, in turn, help the U.S. economy.

Christmas Trees Can Be Recycled: If the thought of cutting down a Christmas tree still rubs you the wrong way, consider that real trees can be recycled into mulch and paths for hiking trees or used as soil erosion barriers for lake and river shorelines, according to PickYourOwnChristmasTree.org.

[ALSO READ: 10 Christmas Tree Alternatives]

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Obama Family Lights National Christmas Tree

President says he hopes this year’s tree fares better than previous spruce

President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters lit the national Christmas tree Thursday night, dedicating it to the “heroism” of those who persevered through Superstorm Sandy in the northeast last month. "Now, we know that some of our neighbors to the north saw a more ruthless and destructive Sandy. And this holiday season is especially difficult for families who lost everything in the storm," President Obama said. "But it's also a time for us to be grateful for the heroism and perseverance of ordinary men and women in the storm's path who've showed us that Americans will always be stronger than the challenges that we face." View video from the lighting ceremony in the video player above. (Reuters)

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