You remember Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree? Tired. Sparse. Pathetic. But, darn, it had the spirit of the holidays.
Americans are taking a page from Charlie this year. Given the rough economic times, people are scaling back on presents. But according to industry analysts, people aren't giving up their trees just yet.
"It's tradition," Chicagoan Liza Regan told the Sun-Times. "I love the smell, the fresh scent."
Last year, U.S. farmers sold $493 million in Christmas trees, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
While consumers are still buying both artificial and natural trees, this year they are more likely to opt for smaller, cheaper ones. But sellers like John Tuttle at the tree lot at St. Matthias School aren't complaining.
"Our sales are better than last year. I was shocked," Tuttle said.
