Real one every time.... they're a ball ache, needles every where but prefer them to fakes personally...
I put it up on the 9th Dec, 6 years ago on the 9th my missus waddled down stairs to see mine and the 2 kids handy work on the tree, she was near ready to pop with Isla, in her pregnant hormonal state she started to cry saying it was the most beautiful tree ever.... pregnant woman are a little nuts .... well the tree set her off, and later that night Isla was born, so it always goes up on her birthday now ....