Artificial Christmas trees have undergone vast improvements in the past decade (much to the dismay of the live Christmas tree business). Artificial trees have come a long ways since the tacky aluminum Christmas trees of the 1960's. Thanks to ever advancing manufacturing technologies, artificial Christmas trees now have many advantages over their live counterparts.

• Life like - Today's artificial trees are so life-like that it's difficult to tell that they're artificial unless you actually touch their needles.

• Safety - Live Christmas trees by their very nature are prone to fire. And when they do catch fire, they often burn very quickly and very hot, presenting a safety hazard to the household. Such fires have been responsible for many a Yuletide tragedy. Artificial Christmas Trees on the other hand are flame resistant. Most of them are made with PVC-based material that will not burn easily even when directly exposed to flame.

• Economy - Live Christmas trees must be replaced every year and they must be disposed of after each Christmas season. Artificial Christmas trees on the other hand, can be used for many years and will actually save you money over a period of time.

• Environment - Proponents of live Christmas Trees often point out that artificial Christmas trees are not recyclable and do not decompose as live trees do. While this is true, we also must consider that when an artificial Christmas tree is purchased, it can last many years, often decades. This certainly mitigates any negative environmental issues.

• Clean Up - Let's face it; live Christmas trees are messy. Their needles get dry and fall on the carpet. An artificial Christmas tree may lose a needle or two on occasion, but they simply don't create the cleanup mess that live trees do.

• Pre Lit - Many artificial trees are assembled with lights already in place. With these trees, the tedious work of hanging lights on the tree is already done for you.

• Pine Scent - Given the quality of today's artificial trees, there is really only one advantage to a live tree - the scent. Even I have to admit - there is nothing quite like the pine scent of a fresh cut tree. However, with today's widely available assortment of potpourris and scented candles, it's quite easy to re-create even this scent.

So the real question left is: Why buy a live Christmas tree?