It’s a question that comes up every year around this time and one that evokes passion from supporters on both sides: Real or fake?
Decorating a Christmas tree is an annual tradition for many families across Maryland. Some will go out to find the right tree at a lot, while others will trudge up the old, reliable artificial tree from the basement.
There are pros and cons to both. A real tree can smell fantastic, but it needs constant watering and sheds worse than most dogs or cats. An artificial tree costs more but lasts for years. In addition, each year, you must put it together and reposition the branches so that it looks like an actual tree.
At BetMaryland.com, your source for the best Maryland sports betting promos, we were curious if locals in the state prefer natural or artificial Christmas trees. Using Google Trends, we compared the search interest scores for “real Christmas trees” and “artificial Christmas trees.” The search period was from Nov. 30 to Dec. 25, 2023, and was filtered to only include Maryland.
Type | Score |
Artificial Tree | 4 |
Real Tree | 3 |
Artificial trees hold a slight edge in Maryland. While there are environmental concerns with artificial trees, which have a larger carbon footprint compared to a real tree, those concerns can be offset if you use them for several years.
Metro | Type | Pct. of Preference |
Hagerstown | Artificial Tree | 60% |
Baltimore | Artificial Tree | 54% |
For those who prefer a real tree in the home of Maryland sportsbooks, the Maryland Christmas Tree Association, which has about 75 members across the state, has a list of tree farms that sell their trees each year. A variety of spruces, firs and pines grow in the Old Line State.
Check with the farms to see when they will begin selling. Some will open before Thanksgiving, while others wait until December.
No matter what type of tree you have, it will likely look fantastic in the house as you and your family and friends gather around the television to watch the Baltimore Ravens play the Houston Texans in a game that could also double as a playoff preview. At BetMGM Maryland Sportsbook, the Ravens have odds of +800 to win the Super Bowl, while the Texans are at +2500.
USA Today Network photo by Lauren Roberts/Salisbury Daily Times
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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