LEXINGTON, S.C. — The day after Thanksgiving means picking out a full and tall Fraser fur for the Utter family. They prefer a real tree to a fake one.
"The smell, just the ambiance. The whole thing is just, it's better to have a real tree than put up something plastic," father Joe Utter said.
His daughter's favorite part is decorating the tree.
"We're going to watch movies, put on Christmas music," Kendyl Utter said.
For the McCue family, this is a new tradition since their parents moved to South Carolina from the East Coast last fall.
"It's the first year we were able to be here in South Carolina together. It's the first year we've cut our own Christmas tree together, so it's a lot of firsts this year," said Lauren McCue, daughter picking Christmas tree. "It is really nice to get out here, spend time with my family."
"(I) already have the playlist ready for the ride home, we'll get the hot chocolates going. It'll be great," daughter Rebecca McCue said.
The business has been pointing up for Price's Christmas Tree Farm.
"All the weekends are good, but this is the biggest weekend of all. I mean, we'll sell 60-70% of our sales in these next 3 days," said Bryan Price, owner of this Christmas tree farm.
Although he wanted about 300 more Fraser furs, he said they still have plenty of choices for people.
"I think, coming off the pandemic, people are starting to get out more and they want to more and they're wanting to have a good Christmas and people are ready, the customers are ready," Price said. "So, I knew this was coming. I saw it coming based on calls and all we've been having ahead of time."
Christmas traditions are planting their roots early.