Christmas trees were a fine tradition in my family. We would put more effort into decorating the tree every year than we would put in to almost anything. We would start picking out new Christmas decorations month ahead of time, get the whole room prepared, and finally go and pick out a tree.
Sometimes, we would have to get an artificial tree. We moved around a lot because of my dad's job, and some apartments simply won't accommodate a nice big Christmas tree. Nevertheless, some of the artificial Christmas trees were pretty nice. My favorite times, however, were when we got to go out to the woods and pick out a fresh tree to cut down and take back home. There is nothing like natural xmas trees. They have a beautiful scent, a natural look, and a majesty that imitations can never quite capture.
Of course, Christmas lights are also an important part of getting your Christmas tree in shape. When I was growing up, all that we had were those old strands strung in series, the ones where all the lights will go out if one bulb goes out. I remember spending hours going through each individual light bulb, trying to find the culprit. When we got the newer, better quality ones it was a relief. After all, we were all sick of Christmases where the tree lights would go out at the last minute.