As a kid growing up in the 70's, I don't recall my parents ever getting a real tree. We had one of those aluminum trees with the color wheel, and a cotton skirt at the base of the tree that had glued-on little colored stars on it that always used to come off and get stuck in the carpeting.
When I lived in Colorado, one time I decided I really wanted a real tree, so went out and got one. I loved the real-ness of it, the pine smell, etc.
After the holidays were over, I tossed it outside and was going to chip it up for mulch in the springtime. I had always wondered how true the stories were about trees being so flammable, so after it had been outside a couple days with no water, I stripped off a small branch and lit it (outside of course).
I couldn't BELIEVE how quickly that branch caught on fire! After that, I didn't even want that tree anywhere outdoors, so I hauled it to the street to be collected.
Haven't set up a tree (real or artificial) since then, mostly because I've lived in rented apartments or houses since then, and I tend not to decorate any place that I rent because it just doesn't seem like "home".
If/when I get back to Colorado and have my own home again, I'm sure I'll probably get another real tree. But only if I'm not traveling during the holidays. There's no way I'd leave a live tree in the house while I'm gone.
