Answer: A real Christmas tree
Clues: “Balsam” and “Spruce”
According to a survey, real Christmas tree shoppers fall into six categories, based on when they buy their tree. Here’s the breakdown:
1. The early birds who put it up before Thanksgiving. This group really has to work to keep their tree from drying out by Christmas.
2. The people who buy their tree over Black Friday weekend.
3. The “seasonal purists” who get a tree the first weekend of December. So basically, two out of three people get a real Christmas tree about a month out.
4. Then, there’s the people who wait until the second week of Decembe.
5. The people who put it off until the third week of December.
6. The “Christmas Eve Traditionalists,” who put it up on Christmas Eve.
There may have been a time when putting a real tree up that late had a little magic to it but these days, it feels like a lot of effort to just have a real tree up for a few days.
Plus, a lot of people like enjoying the spirit of the holiday season in their homes throughout the run-up to Christmas. (Possibly to counterbalance the stresses and distractions that pop up here and there.)
(If you’re looking for a place to buy a real tree, try the locator tool at RealChristmasTreeBoard.com. It doesn’t have every lot, but depending on your area, it could be a good start.)