While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the quality of real Christmas trees is based on several measurable standards of which all consumers should be aware. Picking a substandard real Christmas tree could dampen a family's Christmas spirit.

Rule #1 - Beware of "Charlie Brown" real Christmas trees in hiding.

By far, the most important quality standard to apply in purchasing a real Christmas tree is FRESHNESS. A fresh Christmas tree retains its shape and beauty throughout the Christmas season. Another key benefit to fresh Christmas trees is safety. Buying a fresh Christmas tree and carefully keeping it fresh during the Holidays is the key ingredient to a safe Christmas.

Taking the family to the forest or a Christmas tree farm to cut your own tree is a sure way of guaranteeing the freshness of your real Christmas tree . For those who do not fancy themselves as lumber jacks dressed in red plaid flannel shirts with a two blade axe swung over their shoulders, the next best way to have assurance of freshness in purchasing a real Christmas tree is to purchase one on-line. The market for on-line sales of real Christmas trees is a rapidly growing segment of the Christmas tree market, with annual growth of more than 50%. If you to buy a real Christmas tree on-line, make sure that the retailer ships your tree within 3-4 days of cutting it. In such cases, the on-line purchased tree will arrive at your doorstep hassle free and will be just a fresh as if you cut it yourself.

If you choose to buy a real Christmas tree at a local tree lot or from a big box retailer, caveat emptor (buyer beware). Real Christmas trees which are sold by tree lots or by big box retailers are usually cut and where from 4-8 weeks prior to the day you buy it and take it home. Almost by definition, such trees are not fresh.

Nevertheless, there are several tests you can use to guarantee some degree of freshness:

• One way is to bend the needles. If they break, the tree is excessively dried out.
• Another approach is simply to shake the tree to see if the needles will fall. If too many fall, the tree may be too dry

Rule #2 - Compare Each Real Christmas Tree Against the Quality Standards for Premium Christmas Trees As Stated in the USDA's Quality Standards.

A quality real Christmas tree will be fresh (e.g., the needles on the Christmas tree are "green, pliable and firmly attached"), clean (e.g., the tree is not cluttered with foreign material), healthy (e.g., the tree's needles have a "fresh, natural appearance" typical for the species), well-shaped (e.g., there are sufficient branches in number and length to form a symmetrical cone-shape tapering upward from the base of the tree) and density (e.g., the amount of branches and needles on a tree).

Follow these simple rules and you will be assured of having a quality real Christmas tree that you can enjoy throughout the Christmas Season.