The old custom of bringing in the greens has been adulterated by automation and consumerism.

Every Black Friday, my family goes shopping. No, we don’t go to the mall warzones. We go Christmas tree shopping.

It’s a great way to transition the holidays from stuffing yourself with turkey to Christmas joy. I don’t want to listen to any Christmas music until I’m in the car on the way to the tree farm.

My family and I go to the same place every year and compete for who can find the perfect tree. The criteria is always the same: eight to nine feet tall with full and strong branches.

Every year we find our tree. We cut it down, carry it back, and put it on top of our car for the ride home.

When we get home, it’s no longer Thanksgiving. Christmas is upon us.

According to the American Christmas Tree Association, 78 percent of American households will display a Christmas tree this holiday season. Of those, 81 percent will be fake Christmas trees. Additionally, the number of years consumers reuse Christmas trees increased.

This is an abomination to the holiday season. What kind of tree you put up says a lot about you and how you celebrate the holidays.

Reusing Christmas trees is like regifting. It’s uncreative, dull, and cheats the holiday system.

Reusing a tree is like putting all your holiday cheer in a box in mid-January and putting it in a musty basement for 10 months until you’re ready to bring it out again. You don’t want your Christmas cheer to be smelly and musty when you break it out of a box in November. You want it to be freshly grown and full of life.

Fake trees emanate fake Christmas cheer. They look empty and devoid of any jolly vibes.

If you’re looking to spread fresh, real Christmas cheer, buy a real tree and cut it down yourself.