It is difficult to say exactly where the tradition of decorating the New Year tree came from, but it is known that even in the distant past, people, thinking that good and evil spirits live in the trees, decorated their branches in an attempt to appease these spirits. But even now, after thousands of years, a rare person on the eve of the holidays does not rush to the Christmas tree market to buy a Christmas tree.
Instructions
Step 1
The modern market provides buyers with freedom of choice. You can, according to tradition, buy a living beauty, or you can opt for a more practical artificial Christmas tree.
Step 2
The advantages of a live Christmas tree lie in its naturalness and the aroma of pine needles, beloved from childhood. But at the same time, such a tree can spoil the holiday with prematurely crumbling needles. Therefore, its choice must be approached very carefully. Depending on your tastes, you can purchase spruce or pine. Pine has a more voluminous shape and is longer than a needle, moreover, it will last about a week longer than a traditional spruce.
Step 3
Before you go shopping, decide on the location of the tree in the apartment. It is better if it is located away from radiators. The dimensions of the future tree are determined based on the free space. If the tree stands against the wall or in the corner, then you can choose the one that has short and sparse branches on one side - you do not need splendor against the wall, and such a tree will cost much less.
Step 4
First, look at the cut of the tree trunk. A dark border, a few centimeters wide, indicates a high probability of imminent death of the tree. Try to take the spruce tree you like by the middle of the trunk and, lifting it up, hit it with its lower part on a hard surface. If during this procedure a lot of needles fell off the tree, then you should not make a purchase.
Step 5
A fresh herringbone should have elastic branches that are rather difficult to break off, its needles are slightly oily to the touch, rich green in color with a pleasant aroma. In a frostbitten or old tree, twigs break off with a bang. You should also pay attention to the trunk, it should be free of mold, mildew and other foreign objects.
Step 6
The choice of an artificial Christmas tree will have to be approached even more strictly, because its acquisition is not designed for one season. The price of these products varies depending on many indicators. For example, a European-made Christmas tree will be much more expensive than its Chinese counterpart. In addition, the price depends on the size, type of material and design solutions of the tree, i.e. color, fluffiness, frost or bumps.
Step 7
The fire resistance of the material, as well as the strength of the needles, requires special attention. They should not easily break off from the branches and also quickly return to their original place from a slight mechanical impact. Be aware that when heated with garlands, the surface of the tree can release various chemicals. Therefore, if you want to purchase a truly high-quality product, do not hesitate to ask the seller for a quality certificate. So you can find out if an anti-flammable impregnation was used in the manufacture of the product.
Step 8
Artificial trees can be cast or made from PVC foil. The first type is of higher quality, but also quite expensive. Cheaper PVC Christmas trees are assembled using a steel frame, they look quite natural, have high fire resistance and are quite environmentally friendly.
Step 9
Artificial Christmas trees, according to the assembly principle, can be of two types. The first of them has a hook on each branch, with which each section is attached to the trunk, while each branch is marked. Assembling such a tree will take a lot of time. The second type is much more convenient, when all the branches are already attached to the trunk, and you only need to connect several parts of the trunk together and bend the branches to the desired level.
Step 10
It is equally important to pay attention to the material from which the spruce stand is made. It is best to opt for more durable metal models that will not break and prevent the tree from falling.
