For some, Christmas isn't the same without having a real tree in the house.

Christa Michailuck, parks manager for the Town of Okotoks, says when purchasing trees from a lot people should look for the freshest one.

She says there's a couple things to look at when deciphering how new or old a tree on the lot may be.

"It might be hard to tell now that the weather is colder but you want the branches and needles to be quite pliable and not brittle, that's a good sign they're fresh and well hydrated before they were cut, or haven't been cut for so long that they've desiccated."

Once the tree is home, an inch or two should be cut off the bottom of the trunk so the tree has a fresh wound to help it uptake water and stay alive.

Michailuck adds people should do their research before heading out to cut down their own tree.

"If you're wishing to cut your own live tree, do contact the MD of Foothills," she says. "They have a Christmas tree cutting permit you need to obtain and they'll tell you which locations are suitable for doing that."

Residents are asked to remove all decorations from their live trees after Christmas before bringing them down to a tree collection site (to be announced in the future) or leaving them out to be collected for curbside pick up.