By Abby Wilkerson

Let’s embrace the frosty (eh, not in Georgia) majesty of the winter landscape and select the most important of Christmas symbols. 

The Timing

REAL
If the Christmas tree goes up during the Christmas season.

ARTIFICIAL
If the Christmas tree goes up the day after Halloween.

The Look 
“Where do you think you’re gonna put a tree that big?”

REAL
Real trees are all unique – no one will have one exactly like yours! But you need to put it in a corner because it has a big hole on one side. And you need to trim it a little because you’re not very good at guesstimating height. 

ARTIFICIAL
What artificial trees lack in personality they make up for in uniformity. Not to mention the bendy branches are pretty customizable to accommodate the true-size gingerbread house ornament your mother-in-law gifted you.  

The Smell

There’s really no contest here – nothing screams Yuletide season like the scent of fresh evergreen. Period, hard stop, mic drop or whatever the youths are saying these days.

There is no shortage of candles, plug-in air fresheners and little scented doodads to hang from the branches to create that coveted evergreen scent. Bath & Body Works even sells an evergreen lotion so that you yourself can smell like a Christmas tree.

The Set Up

“A little tree water ain’t gonna hurt him. Before we left, he drank a half a quart of Pennzoil. Boy, when he lifted his leg the next morning…”

REAL
Locate the Christmas tree stand, fill it with water, then fill it with water again, because: real tree, then fill it with water again, because: dog got thirsty. Repeat over and over until December 26.

Death by a thousand papercuts after hours of fluffing each individual branch. But once it’s finished, all you have to do is kick back with a festive toddy and enjoy.

The Clean Up
“Lewis? My tree! Look what you’ve done to my tree!”

Even a healthy, well-watered tree will eventually drop needles. And a forgotten, arid-as-the-desert tree will quickly become a fire hazard. Many communities offer Christmas tree recycling days, where live trees can be ground into mulch for parks.

Depending on your tree, it may need to be disassembled in sections or limb-by-limb. But a real Christmas hack is to purchase a standing tree bag, cover the tree (lights, ornaments and all), push it in a closet and congratulate yourself on winning Christmas.

If you’re looking for the full Christmas Vacation experience closer to home, check out these choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms just down the road.

Thompson’s Tree Farm
1829 Prospect Road | Lawrenceville

Cooper’s Tree Farm
5577 Winder Highway | Braselton

Deerwoods Christmas Tree Farm
1106 Henry Scott Road | Ball Ground

Berry’s Christmas Tree Farm Worth the drive!
1175 Penland Road | Covington
If the tree is only part of the experience, then load the fam into the old front-wheel drive sleigh and head to Berry Christmas Tree Farm for a visit with Santa, photo opps, a petting zoo, train rides, a Christmas shop and more.