How much do you like Christmas?

[Pumpkin_Man]

To each his own. I personaly don't like them at all. I think they're a cop-out, but I can understand some one with limited mobility or limited time to put up decorations would use them.

I agree with DemonSlayer, too. I think Christmas has been way overly comercialized, and the CHRISTmass message is being totaly drowned out by that comercialization. When it comes to every aspect of my life, but especialy CHRIISTmas, I go with TRADITION all the way. I put up a REAL tree, not an artificial one. I put the Advet Wreath together on the Saturday BEFORE the 1st Sunday of Advent, and I light it every night at Dinner time, and I say grace and the prayer for that particular weekof Advent. I have a manger scene, and a star on top of my tree, and large old fashioned lights. I light a fire in a real fire place, and the house really comes to life. My grand nieces and nephew are down right envious of me, when they come to my tree trimming party. They KNOW that they are really missing out on some wonderful family TRADITIONS, because nobody wants to look for the all perfect tree, it's easier to put up a fake one. They live in a very untraditional styled condominium, and there's no fireplace at all, not to mention that there's very little if any attention paid attention to the very thing that is celebrated at Christmas. Christ's Birthday.

They all love my house and my tree trimming party, and it's my hope that a sense of TRADITION will make a come back in this family of mine.

Mike

[adrian]

oh i 100% agree!! a real tree is the only way to go for me!! i have fake trees buy they're outside and decorated for my winter wonderland part of the yard but as far as my official tree with my traditional decorations.. we get a real tree

[Spookymufu]

I dislike those blow ups but I now understand why they are so popular. I strung up lights last year all along the front of the house for my wife, she loves the lights. Around Dec 29/Jan 1st or so I got a letter from the HOA saying I was now in violation and needed to remove my lights or get fined.......So, I can see people avoiding the whole thing and just drag a blow up out for a week or so then stuff it back in the box.....

[adrian]

HOA? what kinda neighborhood do you live in?

[MacPhantom]

I don't want to get off topic, but the idea of Home Owners Associations is so antithetical to everything I believe in, I can't imagine anybody ever joining one, or buying a house where joining is mandatory.

On topic, the only time I like a real tree is when I can get one balled and burlaped, so I can plant it in the yard after Crimbo. Cutting down the most beautifully shaped tree just to decorate for a month is kinda like hanging real corpses in the yard for Halloween. It's sorta cool, but also kinda not worth it...

[adrian]

well its a good thing that there are hundreds and thousands of them planted every year lol our produce farm is close to a christmas tree farm and MAN does it smell good out there!!

and from the looks of a couple of posts on here.. there really ARE real corpses being used

[Spookymufu]

this was our tree last year, a 10 footer

[adrian]

i like the frost spook i think the most we can do is 9 ft

[Spookymufu]

I think we can go 13 or 14 ft but they get really expensive at that size

[adrian]

no kidding.. how much were trees last year?

[Spookymufu]

we bought this tree about 4 days before Christmas and paid $30 for it, but it was marked $150

[adrian]

man trees are expensive these days and the thing is is that there are actually more trees produced now than needed hahaha

[Spookymufu]

growing up, my mom and dad had the same fake tree for 30+ years, I always buy real trees, it doesnt feel right to me unless I have to vacuum pine needles, water the tree, and the smell of pine in the house. This tree was the easiest I ever set up, it already had the water tub and base on it, all I did was drag it in and set it upright and that was it. Normally I have to drag it in, lift it into the base, adjust the base until it sits strait...all a pain...

[adrian]

for me its the smell really!! that's what sets the season off for me

[MacPhantom]

I know what you mean. I love the smell of a Douglas Fir..... kind of sweet and citrusy....

Okay, there are some good things about Christmas....