If you put up an artificial Christmas tree, you can have that thing up for MONTHS . . . and some people do.  But if you put up a real tree, there’s an art to the timing.

According to a new survey, REAL Christmas tree shoppers fall into SIX categories, based on when they buy their tree.   Here’s the breakdown:

1.  The early birds who put it up BEFORE Thanksgiving, 14%.  This group REALLY has to work to keep their tree from drying out by Christmas.

2.  The people who buy their tree over Black Friday weekend, 33%.

3.  The “seasonal purists” who get a tree the first weekend of December, 33%.  So basically, two out of three people get a REAL Christmas tree about a month out.  That also means we’re in the middle of a 10-day stretch were MOST people get their tree.

4.  Then, there’s the people who wait until the second week of December, 16%.  That’s NEXT week.

5.  The people who put it off until the THIRD week of December, 3%.

6.  The “Christmas Eve Traditionalists,” who put it up ON Christmas Eve, 1%.

There may have been a time when putting a real tree up that late had a little MAGIC to it . . . but these days, it feels like a lot of effort to just have a real tree up for a few days.

Plus, a lot of people like enjoying the spirit of the holiday season in their homes throughout the run-up to Christmas.

If you’re looking for a place to buy a real tree, try the locator tool at RealChristmasTreeBoard.com.  It doesn’t have EVERY lot, but depending on your area, it could be a good start.