As Christmas approaches, people are decorating their houses, inside and out. From stockings, to nativity sets, Christmas adorning is in full swing. But many people are indecisive on one particular decoration. The Christmas tree. Particularly, if a real or synthetic one is better.

A real Christmas tree is easily the right choice though, for sake of tradition, for the environment, and for local economy.

There is something about the feeling of having a real tree set up, with ornaments placed all over it, that makes the holiday season feel more festive. Whether it is the faint scent of the tree when you walk by, or the tiny needles that fall underneath it, a real tree contributes to the season by giving the home a more authentic feel than a fake tree would

Aside from tradition, using a real tree is a much better option than contributing to the adverse effects of using a fake tree. Christmas has been around for a long time. So have trees. Polyvinyl chloride and fiber optics used in synthetic trees have not. Most fake trees are created with toxin rich, non-recyclable materials. That means that disposal of these trees contributes greatly to the continuing destruction of the environment

One last perk of a real tree is that, by purchasing a real tree locally, you are contributing to your local economy and supporting tree vendors in your area. Synthetic trees are sold in mass from factories all across the nation, whereas real trees are grown new every year for the exact purpose of selling locally to residents. These people lose a significant portion of their sales to companies selling fake trees. By purchasing real trees, you are helping to support families around you whose income depends on your business.

Some might say that real trees could have downsides, as the needles the tree “sheds” can become a hassle to clean up and saving a synthetic tree to use for many years can negate the grand disruption it causes. But, by setting a tree carpet down beneath the tree and routinely tidying up a little bit, the mess problem will be minimal and worth the effort and the sheer amount of synthetic trees purchased each year completely counters any attempt at minimizing damage by conserving.

One solution to this growing debate is to try using a real tree if you do not traditionally do so. If the experience is worthwhile, continue to go that route for the next holiday season. If even half of the current synthetic tree consumers switched over to authentic trees, so much could be improved.

Trees are one of the center pieces of Christmas festivities and the choice of what kind of tree to roll with is very important. The use of real ones clearly outweighs the cons, and is overall a smarter choice for this holiday season.