PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Now that Thanksgiving leftovers are in the fridge, families across the Valley are gearing up for Christmas.
Christmas tree farms are hard to come by in the desert, but that doesn’t stop Arizona families committed to tradition from finding the perfect one.
The day after Thanksgiving is opening day, and the busiest day for Valley View Christmas Trees, which sources fresh trees from the Pacific Northwest.
There’s a lot to consider when shopping for the centerpiece of the Christmas holiday. It’s always fun, even if everyone doesn’t agree.
“I wanted this one to my right and I was overruled by my family. So, that’s nothing new in my house, so we went with the other one,” said Paul Layeux, who went to a tree lot in Chandler with his wife and two sons.
Despite some differences of opinion, everyone is on board with the real deal.
“We love the smell of it,” said Laura Tait, who went to a tree lot in Chandler with her husband and two sons.
“Sentimental value,” said Paul Layeux.
“It shows a lot more Christmas spirit than a fake one,” said 9-year-old Joshua Tait.
There’s something special about passing down traditions that create Christmas magic for the next generation.
“It means a lot to me. It may not mean as much to them right now, but hopefully one day when they have families of their own they’ll look to get a real Christmas tree,” said Paul Layeux.
“That’s like my favorite part of Christmas like is hanging ornaments,” said his 10-year-old son Elliott Layeux.
Some parents find ways to include life lessons along the way.
The Taits get two trees: one for the living room and one for the playroom.
“It’s their own tree that they learn to take care of, put up the lights on,” said Laura Tait.
Amid the hustle and bustle, families hope to keep the reason for the season top of mind.
“I definitely hope that most people don’t have coal in their stockings,” said her 9-year-old son Joshua Tait.
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