Deck the house with a real tree

The holiday wouldn’t be the same without a freshly cut Christmas tree.
I love the smell of having a fresh tree in the house and being able to touch something real. Artificial trees just have never quite had the same effect on me.
It has become a holiday tradition for our family to venture out to a pick-your-own tree farm to chop down the showcase piece of the Christmas season. As long as I can remember, our family has always decorated the house with a real tree. I have continued that tradition with my children.
Sometimes we wander around the tree farm aimlessly looking for that right tree. Other times, like this year, it just kind of jumped out at us shortly after we arrived. We have a rule that the tree needs to meet everyone’s approval before we chop it down.
Christmas tree sales are reportedly stronger than ever this year as more people appear to be gravitating to fresh-cut evergreens, apparently in an effort to overshadow the deadly virus that has been plaguing America and bring a bright spot to the holidays amid the worsening toll of COVID cases.
It really should come as no surprise as to the reason why more Americans want a real piece of Christmas to brighten their spirits. More people will be staying home for the holidays this year because of COVID restrictions. I’m also guessing there are stir-crazy families out there looking for a safe way to create special memories.
According to industry research, many people who put up an artificial tree last year plan to buy a real one this year. Most are citing the pandemic as the reason for heading up to the tree lots and farms.
This year’s growing interest in real trees comes after the industry has struggled to attract new, younger customers in recent years as more Americans turned to fake trees.
Research claims that as many as 80% of Americans who have a Christmas tree now have a fake tree.
No one tracks annual sales of real trees because independent tree lots and farms are so scattered. However, those in the business estimate about 20 million trees are sold each year.
For our family, picking a tree has always been a special holiday moment and something that becomes much bigger than the tree itself. We usually make an afternoon of it and try to involve everyone in finding that special tree. As my children get older, it’s harder to find time to spend together. Hunting down a tree is a real memory maker. In this time of fear and unknown with a pandemic in which we never know where it will strike next, I think it’s even more important to gravitate to making family memories.
But it’s not only finding the tree that adds to the holiday magic at our house. It’s a project where the entire family gets involved in setting it up as well decorating it. And, of course, we have the holiday music playing in the background.
While my family has always enjoyed a real tree, I think it will take on an even greater meaning this year. It will allow us to enjoy a happier way to close out a difficult year. And I believe that will be true for many families.
Having a real tree even meets the approval of the queen at our house. Our family’s cat, Ginger, loves hanging out under the Christmas tree. During the holidays, she basically rotates from the tree to a near-by Christmas village where she perches herself in the back keeping guard over the village.
If you’re yearning for something magical this holiday season, I urge you to go in hot pursuit of finding the real deal… a real Christmas tree. I assure you that it won’t be something you’ll regret.
 
Photo: The Bussler crew goes in hot pursuit of finding a real Christmas tree once again this holiday season. Included in the hunt are Kyrie, Cailyn and Caleb Bussler. Of course, dad is taking the photo.