ARLINGTON, Tennessee — Real Christmas tree sales are surging this year amid a time when people are turning to the holidays for joy. Spencer Priddy, the owner of Priddy Farms, has been selling Christmas trees for the last 22 years and in just the first week of business this season, he has had a 30% increase in sales.
"This is a really good season for me this year," Priddy said. "I was really surprised."
The trees at Priddy Farms can come in shades of silvery to deep green, but they all have one thing in common: tradition. Annie Beasley makes it an annual outing with her family to go pick out a real Christmas tree.
"We love the scent in the house," Beasley said. "It’s fun to come out and take a little adventure with the boys and find our own perfect tree every year."
More families this year are sprucing up their homes with a real tree for the holidays. Priddy said there is nothing like the experience of a real Christmas tree in your home.
"The moment you walk in it just captures your senses and it’s just a wonderful feeling and it feels like Christmas," Priddy said.
Many first-time real tree buyers are hoping this difficult year can end with a new ritual designed for spending time with loved ones.
"What better way to start a new tradition than at Christmas," Priddy said. "Start with your family, come pick a Christmas tree out, and just enjoy it with your family."
Lily Gunn said her family couldn't wait to pick out their first real tree.
"The pandemic kind of trapped everybody in their homes, so now they want a more natural thing in their house other than just the same old tree in the attic that they are used to," Gunn said.
For her family, the tree will be a fixture of warmth and happiness in the coming winter.
"Tonight, we’re getting the real tree, decorating it, doing our stockings, watching Christmas movies, and drinking hot chocolate so it’s more a whole family thing," Gunn said.
Whether it's your first time buying a real tree or not, the joy it brings to every home is unforgettable.
"The real tree just has the experience of Christmas," Priddy said. "It just says tradition, it says family and that’s what I love about it."