Besides the crisp smell, finding the perfect Christmas tree makes the real ones worthwhile

There is nothing better than crowding extended family into a too-small house on Dec. 24, or watching Christmas specials while the smell of sweet potatoes and pecan pie drifts in from the kitchen.

There is nothing better than gathering around a collapsible, mass-produced pile of plastic and aluminum to take family photos and open carefully chosen gifts.

My main concern regarding fake trees is not the lack of that evergreen smell characteristic of the entire winter season, though it is an argument in itself. It’s not just the environmental costs of an unbiodegradable material, as overcrowded as landfills are.

But what made me cringe when told that we would “switch to fake this year” was that something would be lost. Whether it be the tradition of 15 years of real trees, or the magic of having an actual tree in your living room, or the charm of a little imperfection, there would be something missing.

There is something about going out to that lot that is always vacant except in the weeks preceding Halloween and Christmas; the lot whose sole purpose is to supply Rancho Penasquitos with pumpkins and Christmas trees two times a year, to pick out the right tree for your living room.

There is magic in trekking through the lot to find the perfect one among the crappy.

When things take time and effort, the result is all the sweeter.

That is true for just about everything. A homemade cookie is more delectable than any store-bought one. A hard test aced is more rewarding than an easy one.

Artificial trees may be the way to go if you happen to be mega cheap, live in a matchbox, or have a dog-like mentality towards vacuums, in which case, a simple wreath could bring a sufficient amount of Christmas magic.

But what is exciting about picking out your box of synthetic branches from an aisle of identical, $299.99-products?

They separate the holiday from its roots in a rather sad, industrialized, impersonal way.

The Christmas tree farming market has already turned the industry into a systematic, mechanized endeavor.

The last thing such an already commercialized holiday needs is widespread manufacture of the most integral part of the Christmas tradition.

But either way, in the spirit of the season, it’s a matter of personal preference, and you should follow your bliss and just enjoy the two weeks off, no matter what sits in your living room.

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