by Victoria Tiegert

Created on: December 21, 2011   Last Updated: December 26, 2011

Wrap the gifts, put on the holiday music, deck the halls, and trim the tree!  These are very special holiday traditions in millions of homes and they signify that it’s time to step into the “most wonderful time of the year”.  Without using common sense and taking proper safety measures, however, that lovely Christmas tree can be the cause of grief and trouble.  The following are steps that you should take to ensure that your tree is safe and not a source of danger.

Live or Fake?

Making the decision between getting a live tree or displaying an artificial tree is one that you should make with consideration to the length of time that you are going to want to have your tree displayed.  A live tree is only really safe to have for between 2 and 4 weeks.  After that, it will get far too dry and deadened to be safe.  If you are someone who wants to have a tree up for longer than that, you should opt for the artificial tree or plan on getting two trees for the season.

Keep Your Tree Watered

The first step to keeping your tree watered is to ensure that the water can enter the trunk of the tree.  Do this by making a cut in the base of the tree.  After that, make sure that your tree stand has a reservoir which holds plenty of water and that you keep it filled all of the time.

Keep Tree Away From Heat Sources

When deciding where to set up your Christmas tree, make sure that you keep the tree a distance away from heaters of any sort, including heating vents.  This will help to keep your tree alive and hydrated longer, as well as avoiding the possibility of the tree combusting from the close proximity of the heat.

Be Sure Your Tree is Secure

Once you have your tree in place in the tree stand, push gently on the sides towards the top of the tree.  The tree should feel secure and not at a risk for tipping over.  Putting the tree in an area of the home that has less activity is also a good way to prevent it from getting hit and tipped.

Turn Off Lights When Unmonitored

Whether you are leaving home, going to bed, or are just going to be in another part of the house for a while, you should turn the lights off if they are decorating your tree.  Even the newer, safer Christmas lights have a small chance of causing a fire and it is never worth taking a risk that dangerous.

Opt For Plastic Decorations

Plastic decorations will trim a tree just as beautifully as the older style glass ones will, but without the risk of

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