[faithfulFrank]

Hello all.
As most of you know, I'm currently at our main home in upstate NY, where we have snow and currently 29 degrees. Today after work we went and cut down the 12 foot Douglas Fir Christmas tree we tagged last August.

I just put it up, and it looks great and the whole house smells like Christmas. Tomorrow i'll put on the lights and ornaments. This is a tradition that we do every year that I know will have to change somewhat when we move to Florida.

On this subject, I have some questions about Christmas trees and Florida.

1) Do people buy REAL trees down there?
2) Can you get Douglas Fir trees?
3) How fresh are they?
4) How big can you find them, and what do you have to pay? (Mine was $35.00 this year...it's gone up some from previous years...)

5) Do they last? Up here you keep your house at a constant 68 degrees..any warmer and your heating bill goes through the roof. Down there in the HEAT, do Christmas trees last??

I know that life is all about trade offs, and that some of our traditions will change and be replaced with great NEW ones, but I just would like to know about Christmas trees and Florida.....I look forward to some good responses.

Frank D.

[Lilybeans]

We have a fake. We usually hang a real wreath indoors.

The trees in South Florida have been cut some time ago. We gave up on the real tree idea years ago after the Publix tick incident. People were taking their trees home, and once inside and warm, ticks started crawling out of them.

[On-da-Beach]

We have real trees every year. They are trucked in from N.C. regularly so they are pretty fresh. Douglas Fir are available but we prefer Noble Pines. The temp thing is true everywhere and we tend to dry ours out too fast from the fireplace heat. I never heard about the "Publix Tick Incident" but I don't find it hard to believe. Prices are much higher here, too. A 12' tree will be close to $100.

[Songbird42]

Publix trees start at $49.99 and go up depending on the type of tree, we did buy a "real tree" one year, when we got it home the main trunk was so bent hubby opened the front door and threw it out the door, after he calmed down we brought it back in and took fishing line and nailed it into the wall so it would stay up, it was all dryed out by Christmas Day and we never got another "real tree". We now have a 7ft. prelit tree.

[markhunt]

For 26 years when I lived in NY/CT, I always had a real tree. When I moved to FL in 2003 I bought a real tree for the first year. The quality was less than desirable plus expensive. The following year we put up a fake tree and from that point on I promised myself at the very least until I was able move back to CT, I would never spend another Christmas down here. For us it just didn't feel like Christmas. So every year since 2005, we take our 3 week vacation from mid December until after New Years and drive up to CT for the Holidays.

[Tungsten_Udder]

My folks always had artificial trees even when they lived in Cleveland rather than Florida.

The most I've ever had is a large, black, wrought iron candelabra in a spiderweb shape, with a large spider in the middle of the web, that I hang a few Christmas ornaments and two Christmas socks on (and one of the socks is an Ozzy Osbourne sock at that). I guess I'm kind of non-traditional.

The times I've remembered friends having real trees they were constantly having to clean up pine needles. That's not something I want to do (and I also wouldn't want to have to buy a tree every year, haul it in and out of the house, etc.)

[FLBob]

We use an artificial tree. There are a few Christmas tree farms in Florida, where you can cut your own or purchase potted trees that your can plant (these would be southern pines and cypress). The cut your own are sold at about $5 a ft up to 8 ft and $7ft for trees over 8ft.
You can get Douglas fir, but they are trucked in from northern tier states.

[faithfulFrank]

Thanks to everyone so far for the info.

So, if real trees are not the norm down there.....what things do Floridians do to enjoy Christmas??

We did spend last Christmas down there in the new house, and it was different. We liked it. I helped the neighborhood decorating committee by climbing up the palm trees and wrapping them in lights......

Frank D.

[Tungsten_Udder]

Originally Posted by faithfulFrank

Thanks to everyone so far for the info.

So, if real trees are not the norm down there.....what things do Floridians do to enjoy Christmas??

We did spend last Christmas down there in the new house, and it was different. We liked it. I helped the neighborhood decorating committee by climbing up the palm trees and wrapping them in lights......

Frank D.

Well, a lot of people still decorate their homes fairly elaborately. There are neighborhoods, like parts of Lake Clarke Shores (right next to Palm Springs) in Palm Beach County, where almost everyone in the neighborhood decorates to the extent that people drive from all around, park up and down the street and walk around to look at it, take photographs, etc. (It can actually be difficult to find parking nearby).

Most cities decorate their downtown areas for Christmas, and some, like West Palm Beach, have special events for Christmas, including nightly "snowfalls" at CityPlace (it was a lot of fun--I went to this when I was there a couple weeks ago).

There are still Christmas concerts in various locations, people still go caroling, if you're religious there are still all the usual Christmas services including the Christmas Eve midnight service, etc.

I know you're not in Palm Beach County, but I'd guess that you'd be able to find similar things in your area.

Also, even if you do not usually go to amusement parks, it's worth going to Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios) to see the Osborne lights, check out their Christmas decorations, Christmas parades, etc.

[TriMT7]

I bought a 7 foot Douglas Fir yesterday at Lowes for $40.00. I also have a pre-lit fake. My house tends to be between 68 - 77 degrees during the winter (no heat on, no air conditioning USUALLY). Lasts the season!