Since the early 16th century, families worldwide have put up a Christmas tree to honor one of the biggest Christian holidays. According to History.com, Christmas trees, similar to the ones placed in homes today, were originally a German tradition, but it soon spread around the world.

Today, families decorates their trees with a collection of items such as lights, ornaments and a star to top it all off. Although many people do not argue over Christmas traditions, there is one debate that returns year after year: should the Christmas tree be real or fake?

A real Christmas tree trumps a fake one.

According to Money Crashers, real and fake Christmas tree have both advantages and disadvantages.

A fake Christmas tree can be used year after year, allowing families to save money. They are also convenient for someone like me, a busy person, to set up with few steps and are able to maintain the ideal triangular shape like a perfect piece of pie.

Though real Christmas trees can vary in price yearly and can make a mess as the pine needles fall from the tree, there is nothing better than walking into my home during the Christmas season and inhaling the familiar whiff of pine. It is like hearing from an old friend: unexpected and inviting.

“I love the uniqueness of every real tree. Each year, it’s always different,” Jess Cleveland, owner of both real and fake Christmas trees, said.

Real Christmas trees are also all grown in America; the distribution can supply many jobs around the holiday season. Despite what many people think, cutting down a real Christmas tree does not have a major impact on the environment.

According to the American Christmas Tree Association, most real Christmas trees are not cut down in a forest. In fact, they are grown on farms similar to any other crop grown during the year. In addition, real Christmas trees make up less than 0.1 percent of my carbon footprint in an entire year.

After a lifetime of getting a real Christmas tree, I can attest to many of these upsides of having a real Christmas tree. For me, cutting down a Christmas tree had been a day packed with tradition, including eating at the same restaurant every year with our neighbors and taking pictures with Rudolph to see how much my siblings and I have grown.

A real Christmas tree is more than a tree; it is an experience that I cherish. A fake Christmas tree does not have the same feeling that puts me in the Christmas spirit.

Ultimately, a real Christmas tree surpasses a fake tree with the many positives it brings to the holiday. The smell alone captures my attention and brings me to peace. The effects of cutting down a real tree are close to none. With this new information, why not try to put up a real Christmas tree? It will only make the season brighter.