Poll: What Kind of Christmas Tree do you Prefer?

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I of course loved the presents when I was a kid, but I also enjoyed the lights and the decorations and just how fun the buildup to Christmas Day was, too.

One of the most enjoyable parts of that buildup was always going to get a Christmas tree. My family would pile into the car, drive down to the local tree lot, and then walk the rows of trees until we found just the right one. Picking one out was just the preliminary event, though. The main event came when the tree went up in the house and it was time to string it with lights and hang all of our favorite decorations. Those were always good times.

I always told myself that I'd never have an artificial tree, that I'd never sacrifice the fun of picking the right one out, never go without that fresh Christmas tree smell. As I got older, though, finding the time to go and get a tree every year got to be harder and harder, and of course getting one is just a part of the job; you have to water it and pick up the stray needles that seem to get everywhere, and you eventually have to dispose of it as well.

I wasn't willing to give up on a "real" Christmas, though. For a couple of years I tried having one of those "living" Christmas trees, the kind that come in a big pot and continue to grow, assuming you take proper care of them. Life being what it is - and my thumbs not being all that green - I of course failed miserably at keeping a living Christmas tree alive.

A few years ago I decided to just give myself over to the dark side and went ahead and bought an artifical tree - just a small one, though, only 3 or so feet tall. The tree came with a string of lights already attached so all I had to do was take it out of the box, unfold its plastic limbs, stand it up and plug it in. Surprisingly enough, I grew to really enjoy that tree - and Christmas still felt just as real and fun.

This year I decided to get a bigger tree - over 6 feet tall. It takes more effort to set up than the little 3-footer, but it looks great once the lights and ornaments have gone on. I'm glad I bought it, and I look forward to having it for many more years.

What about you? Do you still love trimming a real tree, or have you discovered the joys of an artificial tree as well? Tell us in the comments and vote in the poll below.