Unutterably Silly O Tannenbaum!

[issybird]

I love real Christmas trees. They're so woodsy and fresh smelling and each unique. Buying one is a rite of the season.

But. Fake trees come lit. They go up in minutes and only require one person, as opposed to two, one to hold it and spin it and straighten it as the other crawls underneath to screw it into the stand. They don't shed needles and they don't need to be watered. And they're cheaper in the not-so-long run.

I'm ashamed to say I went over to the fake side several years ago. Where stand you all?

So I'm embarrassed to admit the truth is since leaving my parent's home (strictly a religious event for them.) I have never done anything regarding decorations and what not for Christmas. I'm an atheist so nothing religious and just don't care to spend the time or money for decorations. So aside from gift giving that's expected, I also take it as the time of year (knowing income for the year and financial situation) to decide my charitable contribution.

[poohbear_nc]

I live with cats .... hence no tree. Of any sort.

Disclaimer: I tried a live tree with silk thread wrapped styrofoam ornaments (I figured they were unbreakable) once -- all blue ornaments with white sparkly lights. It was beautiful.

First morning: tree still standing, but ornaments removed from tree from a height of a cat standing on their hind legs and tastefully distributed over the carpet. Light strings wound in new arrangement. Buster cat located under the tree.

Light strings restored to former configuration. Ornaments rehung with care. Cat paw lightly pricked on needle ends, accompanied by firm "Bad cat" remonstrance.

Second morning: tree leaning against wall, water spilt onto carpet. Ornaments removed from tree half-way up, widely scattered over carpet. Light strings clumped into innovative macrame arrangement. Buster cat nowhere to be found.

Tree restored to former glory, accompanied by shouts of disapproval and threats of punishment.

Third morning: tree lying on side, water spilt onto carpet, ornaments missing, blue threads ground into carpet, light strings -- don't ask.

Tree and accessories removed to utility shed outdoors, carpet dried and cleaned, accompanied by promises of imminent death or orphanhood.

What was the question again?

[tubemonkey]

Fake green tree, blue lights, blue and silver trim, and no breakable ornaments.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

So I'm embarrassed to admit the truth is since leaving my parent's home (strictly a religious event for them.) I have never done anything regarding decorations and what not for Christmas. I'm an atheist so nothing religious and just don't care to spend the time or money for decorations. So aside from gift giving that's expected, I also take it as the time of year (knowing income for the year and financial situation) to decide my charitable contribution.

I don't see what's embarrassing in planning your charitable contributions at year end!

I like the lights and the general festive air at a bleak time of year. Winter is long, whether you're in Wisconsin or New Hampshire. Christmas helps hold winter at bay for a bit. And it's a good time to take stock and to remember happy times and create more of them when possible. I wouldn't not decorate; I'd be much sadder if I didn't make the effort. But of course that's me.

[Cinisajoy]

Ceramic tree here. The ceramic tree is about 2 feet tall.
Oh and a 6 inch fake tree with white bows, fake pearls and little white roses with a white lace tree skirt.
Oh and a little 3 inch tree that opens with a scene inside.
Other than that did angels this year.

[drjd]

I'd prefer this one.

Spoiler:

I voted neither because I've got two cats who could destroy an anvil with a banana peel! Even though I'm not religious, I'm agnostic, I don't view Christmas as a religious holiday anymore. Americans have made Christmas into a secular holiday more than anything else, even in the Bible Belt where I grew up and still live, and I'm glad we did transform it into a secular holiday. I like the festive things and decorations. I used to love getting together with family over the holidays, but they have all either passed on now or moved far away, so I don't bother with decorating. It is just me and the cats anyway. I do love seeing the decorations around town though. And I do love to watch Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation and little Ralphie in A Christmas Story.

Originally Posted by jswinden

I voted neither because I've got two cats who could destroy an anvil with a banana peel! Even though I'm not religious, I'm agnostic, I don't view Christmas as a religious holiday anymore. Americans have made Christmas into a secular holiday more than anything else, even in the Bible Belt where I grew up and still live, and I'm glad we did transform it into a secular holiday. I like the festive things and decorations. I used to love getting together with family over the holidays, but they have all either passed on now or moved far away, so I don't bother with decorating. It is just me and the cats anyway. I do love seeing the decorations around town though. And I do love to watch Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation and little Ralphie in A Christmas Story.

Never cared for Chevy Chase or that movie. A Christmas Story is good though. My favorite Christmas film is A Christmas Memory [the 1966 version narrated by Truman Capote himself], though it being filmed in B&W it seldom makes it onto television these days.

Oh and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The animated version with narration by Boris Karloff. Not the Jim Carrey travesty.

[badgoodDeb]

I always travel to relatives' for Christmas, so I don't bother setting anything up at home. (Plus, yeah, cat.)

edit: As the "cool" Aunt, I bring lots of presents though. Don't think I'm anti Christmas.

[Bilbo1967]

Real all the way. Just feels more Chritmassy somehow

And we have two cats, neither of whom go anywhere near the tree.

[BetterRed]

Playing cricket at Bondi Beach against a mob of drunken Poms is my idea of a good Christmas Day. They never seem to learn that its a bad idea to drink pints of lager when it's 40°C+ in the sun.

I can't recall ever having a tree inside, some people do, but down here we're more inclined to decorate the trees in the garden. Some areas make it into a major competitive production, folks drive around them ooh-ing an aah-ing, TV crews cruise up and down - terribly gauche don't you know :lol:

[Hemmi]

We went fake years ago after my father passed away. It was just too hard for me and my mother to get a real one into the stand. Love that it just goes together with the light already on it.

The cats are mostly uninterested in it. Hemmi wants to constantly rearrange the tree skirt and lurk underneath the tree and the other cat really wants nothing to do with it.

[Catlady]

I have multiple artificial trees, ranging from two feet to seven feet tall. When I was first on my own, I would get a real tree, but the cost and difficulty and mess were a problem; I was also afraid of fire, since I like to decorate early the tree would dry out, so I'd be afraid to turn on the lights. So I switched to artificial trees so I can put them up early and leave them up through Twelfth Night with no worries.

Trees are anchored to walls or heavy furniture with fishing line, so as to survive cat attacks. I make sure that only unbreakable ornaments are in swatting range. Anything breakable with sentimental value is displayed in a glass-fronted cabinet, not on the tree. Usually I end up breaking more stuff than the cats do.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I have multiple artificial trees, ranging from two feet to seven feet tall. When I was first on my own, I would get a real tree, but the cost and difficulty and mess were a problem; I was also afraid of fire, since I like to decorate early the tree would dry out, so I'd be afraid to turn on the lights. So I switched to artificial trees so I can put them up early and leave them up through Twelfth Night with no worries.

Trees are anchored to walls or heavy furniture with fishing line, so as to survive cat attacks. I make sure that only unbreakable ornaments are in swatting range. Anything breakable with sentimental value is displayed in a glass-fronted cabinet, not on the tree. Usually I end up breaking more stuff than the cats do.

Get yer kittehs their own tree

Get a tall scratching post, insert pine branches all around, still leaving plenty of scratching area. Then decorate it with some colorful, non-breakable cat toy ornaments. Every now and then, sprinkle some catnip on the ornaments.