I have a phoenix for a tree, a.k.a, a fake tree.

As entertaining some years as getting the tree into the house in the first place. :)

Every year on New Years Day we take all the decorations off the tree and haul it out the front door and plunk it in the show bank beside the front porch of our house. The plan is to take it down to the city park drop off centre where they put the trees through a chipper and use the chips in the park gardens.  After that we go inside, sweep up the pine needles, wrap the decorations in newspapers and put them back in the boxes, finish tidying up, have a snack and then go to bed.  In April we realize we forgot to haul the tree to the park, so we chop it up and use the pieces in the patio fireplace all summer.  It's all about traditions.

its messy and its work and nobody wants to help as much as they did when you were putting it up.

It's always fun to put it up,but taking it down is another story.  I usually leave mine up  until New years day just avoid taking it down sooner.

This was always a bit depressing when I was married. Now I just put one present beside a six inch fake tree, wake up on Christmas morning, open it...and thank myself. That tree goes right back into its plastic container until next year. Problem solved.

Get it good and dry, make sure your insurance is paid up, and have a convenient fire in the living room.  The insurance claim will pay for those long overdue renovations.

Wreaks havoc on the ol' Garbutator. These days I simply re-plant it and blame it on the pine beetles.

I actually hate seeing the tree go. Up until last year, we always had a real one until that imposter, 'Mr. Artificial' walked in.