Christmas Tree Trends

Not everyone enjoys a fragrant, fresh, natural Christmas tree. Many folks choose to go with something man-made. Although they had been around in the late 1800's elsewhere, artificial trees started to show up in the United States in the early 1900s. Initially, these trees were made to resemble their natural counterparts. Over the years, however there have been many new additions to the artificial arena -- some of them celebrating the unconventional. For example, in the 1950's, one popular trend in artificial trees was to go with very unnatural colors -- like pink, aqua or silver.

ML Harris/Getty Images Some people like their Christmas trees to look as fake as possible.

These trees looked more like tinsel than foliage because they were made using aluminum-coated paper. Much like everything else in society, these funky, shiny trees have made a comeback over the past few years with the rest of the retro-revival. Current trees use a different treatment to achieve the metallic look, however -- the old versions were a fire hazard.

Thomas Northcut/Getty Images Other artificial Christmas trees are made to look as authentic as possible.

Today, synthetic-focused shoppers can find everything from snow-covered limbs to pre-lit branches. For those pressed for time, you can even get trees that are fully decorated. Among the pre-lit variety, there are two stand-outs. Fiber-optic trees come in two basic varieties -- the entire tree is made of fiber optics and looks like a tree shaped of wispy strands of light. The other kinds is a standard artificial tree that resembles a natural variety, but the limbs are dotted with multi-colored fiber-optic lights -- saves the mess of untangling the Christmas tree lights. We've also seen some models that come complete with an MP3 player and speakers so the sounds of the holiday can waft from your brightly-lit tree.

The other pre-lit model that seems to be making a huge impression is by appearance made to look like a natural tree that has already been graced with a tasteful amount of carefully placed white lights. This tree's break from convention doesn't come by way of style so much as placement. They're upside-down. The inverted imitators can be suspended from the ceiling or affixed to a wall. Many come with weighted stands to provide extra stability. For houses limited on floor-space, or in need of extra room for a bountiful supply of gifts -- this could be just the thing!

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