Tis the season to throw down some cash on Christmas trees, and this year the U.S. is finally back to pre-recession levels of spending on the festive firs and spruces.

Bloomberg News says the sales of Christmas trees will rise by 3.1% this year, to $3.4 billion. The last time they were that high was before the recession hit in 2008. It’s not just real trees, either — American will spend 2.6 billion on 10 million artificial trees, compared to the $800 million we pay for the real deal, say researchers.

“We expect strong tree sales this year and strong holiday sales overall,” said Jean Niemi, a spokeswoman for Atlanta- based Home Depot Inc. (HD), the world’s largest home-improvement retailer and the biggest seller of cut trees. “History shows us that even in a down economy, the Christmas tradition isn’t one that families part with.”

This year’s boost comes after three years of gradual increases, an indication that consumers are feeling confident about spending during the holiday season.

And really, we can go without a yule log or chestnuts roasting, but what’s Christmas without a tree?

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