Deeply rooted in Christmas culture, the Christmas tree often takes center stage in American homes during the holiday season.

An epidemic, however, has been spreading for years. Rather than breaking out the hatchet and heading to the nearest county park to claim a piece of holiday paraphernalia, more Americans are surrendering their cash in the pursuit of Christmas.

We’re talking about synthetic Christmas trees. Fabricated firs, plastic pines, silicone cypresses, you name it.

The beauty and aroma of a natural, fresh-cut Christmas tree is second to none, and as it turns out, makes a much smaller carbon footprint than its synthetic counterparts.

Taking into account greenhouse gas emission, resource usage and human health impacts, a fake Christmas tree must be used for more than 20 years to make up for the annual purchase of a real tree, according to an article published by The New York Times.

Other studies show varying numbers, but overall it is a poor argument to assume are going green by buying a fake tree. Call me crazy, but it is hard to believe that anyone would keep a fake tree around for 20 years.

The consequences of fake Christmas trees don’t end there: they hamper the incredible stimulant to the economy real trees provide every year.

There are between 25 and 30 million real Christmas trees sold in the U.S. every year, the products of nearly 15,000 farms growing Christmas trees in the U.S. More than 100,000 people are employed full- or part-time in the industry, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.

If nothing else, looking at the traditional aspect of Christmas trees should sway the opinion of any true Christmas lover. Dating back thousands of years, these trees originally served as a source of life and something green during the darkest and coldest part of the year, according to the History Channel.

The bright idea to bring trees inside, however, did not become popular until the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, it has become an annual tradition for many to use a tree to symbolize the holiday season.

Today, Christmas trees are on display seemingly everywhere. From the White House to Rockefeller Center, some of the most unnecessary, yet amazingly elegant, displays of Christmas trees can be seen.

This elegance is possible to replicate in your own home, to an extent, but is simply just not the same if the tree is made of PVC and has a ‘Made in China’ sticker on the trunk.

This holiday season, when you’re stopping by the store to pick up gifts, don’t fall for the gimmick of buying a fake Christmas tree. Do yourself a favor and get a fresh-cut one. You’ll be glad you did.

Philip Grossenbacher is a sophomore English education major from Lynwood. He can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of The Office of Student Media.