My family has always gotten fake trees, mostly because we have always had animals (be it cats or dogs) that would probably drink out of the water for the tree or eat the branches...I also don't really have justification for cutting down a perfectly good and healthy tree just for a holiday. It's too sad for me :( My family usually has a tiny fake tree and decorates the living room in other ways with stockings, snowglobes, lights, and things like that