Real or fake, what’s your vote?

It’s a tradition that has origins in ancient societies, rituals and celebrations that has survived and evolved for thousands of years. It’s one that is enjoyed by people of different races, religions, colors, and genders from around the globe. The tradition is the beloved Christmas tree, which for many, such as this author, is hailed as one of the most sacred customs of the entire year.

But there’s a battle raging among Christmas tree aficionados, a modern-day debate that may never be resolved: real or fake? We polled locals to find out which they prefer, but before we find out, we’ll delve into some history to find out why decorating the Christmas tree is one of the top 10 most popular Christmas traditions observed in America, according to the Education First Community Blog.

PAGAN ORIGINS

The Christmas tree is the descendent of pagan rituals that used boughs from evergreens in various celebrations, including the winter solstice.  Early Romans, for example, observed the solstice with a special feast called Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The feast celebrated Saturn’s return in the coming months, bringing with him warmer weather, which meant that crops would again grow and prosper. To remind them of this, early Romans decorated their homes and temples with the evergreen boughs.

But how did the tree itself become one of the most synonymous symbols of Christmas? It happened in the eighth century, when an English Benedictine monk, Boniface, was doing missionary work in Germany. As the story goes, he came upon native pagans making a sacrifice to the god Thor, at an oak tree. Purportedly outraged that they were worshipping false idols, Boniface took his axe and cut down the tree. The pagans were certain that Boniface would be struck down by lightning for his actions, but when the that didn’t happen, Boniface successfully converted them to Christianity. As legend would have it, out of this oak sprung a fir tree, which quickly became a symbol of Jesus Christ, new life, and the Holy Trinity, because the tree was triangle in shape. By the Middle Ages, “paradise trees” meant to represent the Garden of Eden were appearing throughout Germany. They were decorated with apples and displayed in homes on Dec. 24, the eve of the feast day of Adam and Eve.

As Germans migrated to other countries, they took with them their cherished Christmas tree, with the tradition being well received in merry old England. Queen Charlotte, the German-born wife of King George III, had Christmas trees decorated throughout the palace. But credit to advancing the Christmas tree to its current status must be given to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who in the mid-1800s, made the Christmas tree the center of their holiday celebrations. In fact, the royal family was featured in a London newspaper in an illustration gathered around the Christmas tree.

The Christmas tree found its way to America, with the arrival of early German settlers. However, the tradition was not initially embraced because of the strict rules of Puritans, who found the Christmas tree to be offensive because of its pagan ties. In some colonies, such as Massachusetts, the holiday was outlawed altogether, and churches were closed on Dec. 25.

Fortunately, for Christmas enthusiasts, cooler heads prevailed, and by the 1800s, Christmas was once again being celebrated, and the Christmas tree had finally taken root. From this pagan tradition sprang a multitude of businesses relating to the Christmas tree, whether it be ornaments or Christmas lights, and of course, the artificial tree.

The Christmas tree had become so popular in Germany in the late 1800s that deforestation became a real and serious threat. In an effort to stop stripping trees from forests, Germans invented the goose-feather tree. These trees were made of real goose feathers that were dyed green and attached to wires, which were then wrapped around a wooden dowl that acted as the tree’s trunk. This type of tree became popular everywhere, including in the United States.

But goose-feather trees weren’t necessarily the best for hanging ornaments, and by the 1930s, the British inventor of the toilet bowl brush—the Addis group—designed and built a Christmas tree made from the same brush bristles, dying them green. This tree was much sturdier and could stand up to a variety of ornaments.

Aluminum trees made their way into the market in the 1950s, enjoying success until “A Charlie Brown Christmas” aired in 1965, again shining the light on the beauty and simplicity of a real Christmas tree.

The artificial tree of today was created in the 1980s, with branches made from PVC plastic, which help these trees look like the real thing. These trees continue to be a mainstay, but are now available with a variety of lights built right into the tree.

REAL OR FAKE?

While the battle of the Christmas tree rages on, it seems the artificial variety may have a leg up.  According to the website Britannia, 85 percent of trees displayed in American households are artificial, per a 2020 survey conducted by the American Christmas Tree Association. And yet, an estimated 25 to 35 million real trees are expected to be sold this season, according to realChristmasTrees.org.

Locally, Rob Breutsch, owner and operator of Holly’s Garden Center on Montauk Highway in East Moriches, has been preparing for the busy holiday season since the day after Halloween, when he emptied the lot for the arrival of hundreds of fresh-cut trees from Canada. Getting the nursery ready for Christmas tree season takes at least two weeks, said Breutsch, and is one of his busiest seasons, second only to spring.

Selling Christmas trees has been at the root of Holly’s business since Breutsch first opened it in 2000, but in the early years, trees would arrive Thanksgiving weekend. Nowadays, Breutsch places his orders even earlier, so that trees can be available for sale the weekend before Thanksgiving.

“In years past, we would bring in our fresh-cut Christmas trees shortly after Thanksgiving, but to keep in time with the current holiday trends, we now bring in our Christmas trees nearly a week before Thanksgiving for customers who like to celebrate Thanksgiving with family along with a live Christmas tree. The day or weekend after Thanksgiving has proved to be a popular time for customers to pick out their fresh-cut live Christmas tree.”

But sometimes, Mother Nature has other plans. This year’s shipment of fresh-cut trees was delayed, thanks to the massive snowstorm that hit Canada and Ontario.

“Ordering Christmas trees also comes with its own challenges, such as current economic conditions and weather conditions that are always unpredictable and out of your control,” noted Breutsch. 

Whether you’re a lover of a pre-lit, artificial tree that can accommodate your holiday ornament collection, or a sucker for the smell of a fresh-cut tree wafting through your house, all Christmas tree aficionados have their own special traditions.

Mastic resident Alicia D’Agostino, for example, has been putting up her artificial tree the day after Thanksgiving, faithfully, for the last 30 years. It is the first of the holiday decorations to be displayed and is a required activity for the whole family. Each family member has certain ornaments they hang, and a new ornament is added to a collection that nears 100.

“It’s a tradition that I look forward to every Christmas. I have so many fond memories of decorating the tree with my husband and kids, who are now 28 and 23 years old,” said D’Agostino. “We play Christmas music and drink hot cocoa, and it’s just a magical time.”

For the Denton family of Center Moriches, getting a real tree has always been the way to go.

“My family is and will always be a real tree family,” said Rose Denton.  “Our tradition started when my first child (my husband) refused to get a fake tree. It then became an all-day excursion the day after Thanksgiving, with our then two young boys. With hot cocoa and snacks in hand, we would head to the tree farm with our saw blade ready to cut down the most beautiful tree we could find. It wasn’t always an easy task, especially with young children, but their father insisted it had to be a fresh-cut tree.”

There are those folks who don’t discriminate at all—they put up a real and artificial Christmas tree. Center Moriches Children’s Library director Margie DeCaro puts up her artificial tree Thanksgiving weekend, and then a real one, closer to Christmas. But for Marisa Vicari of Center Moriches, there’s no question of what kind of tree she will be displaying this holiday season.

“Fake,” she said. “No need to string lights, no need to water, no need to vacuum, and no need to drag needles from the living room to the street.”