When And Where To Buy Christmas Trees Around DC

WASHINGTON, DC — Once Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror, it's time to dive into Christmas. We're talking wreaths, sweets, and — of course — the Christmas tree.

The big debate is, should you get a real tree or a fake one? Obviously, a fake tree comes with the benefit of being much easier to get (just pull it out of the closet), cheaper (you only have to buy it once), and less messy (no pine needles all over the floor).

But for many people, there's just no beating the incredible smell of a real one. If that's the case, your thoughts are immediately turning to where to find one once Thanksgiving wraps up.

Here are some Christmas tree lots located near D.C.:

• Dan and Bryan Trees: 3810 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., 202-243-0642
• Olde City Farm & Garden? 925 Rhode Island Ave., N.W. 202-412-2489

Here are some outlets near outside the District to buy trees:

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church: 4000 Lorcom Lane, Arlington. Friday, Nov. 27 and 28, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Nov. 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Dec. 5, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Dec. 6, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Dec. 12, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Dec. 13, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Annual North Ridge Community Tree Sale: 2911 Cameron Mills Road, Alexandria. Friday, Dec. 4-Sunday, Dec. 6. Inquiries-703-646-0250
• Greenstreet Gardens: 1721 W Braddock Road, Alexandria. 703-998-3030
• Wolf Trap Nursery: 9439 Leesburg Pike, Vienna. 703-759-4244. Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tuesday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. 703-759-4244.
• Krop's Crops: 11110 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls. 703-430-8955

Protestant Christian reformer Martin Luther may be responsible for the first Christmas trees. In the 16th century, he is said to have added lighted candles to an evergreen tree to commemorate the holiday. The tree actually has pagan origins that were combined with Christmas traditions.

Today's wired lights are certainly a much safer alternative to putting actual candles in the tree. Fire departments around the country post videos around this time of year showing how alarmingly quickly a tree can go up in flames. Dried out Christmas trees can be especially flammable and are responsible for potentially deadly house fires, so it's wise to take a few precautions with your tree using these safety tips:

• Choose a tree with flexible needs that don't break
• Keep the tree well-watered
• Don't use damaged or frayed cords, and avoid using too many strings of lights
• Keep candles away from trees
• Turn off the lights when you go to bed or when you're not around
• Keep a fire extinguisher handy