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There may be fewer presents under the tree in many households this Christmas, but people are apparently still purchasing trees as part of their holiday tradition.

On what is usually the first big weekend for holiday tree sales, vendors reported figures rivalling past years at this time.

Customers said they were standing on tradition, despite the shaky economy.

Lisa Mesheau said she was cutting back for Christmas, but not cutting out the tree.

"We've cut back on how many people we buy for," said the Brockton resident as she shopped for a tree at the Pleasant Street Christmas Tree Farm in Rehoboth this past Saturday. She shopped around, however, before picking a place to buy a tree. The price tag was about $45 for what her family wanted.

"We just ended up trying a different place, it was cheaper, and we were happy about that," Mesheau said.

Carol Goulet, who operates the farm with her husband and son, said she's been hearing a lot of those same comments from customers who have been coming to the farm since they started the tree tagging the first Saturday in October.

Tagging allows people to pick their tree ahead of the season.

"A lot of people are staying closer to home and gift-wise, are cutting back, but tradition is to have a tree," Goulet said.

"It's more about families" and tradition this year with a flailing economy, she added.

Brian Medeiros said that the state of the economy didn't pose a red light when it came to getting a fresh green tree.

"It's become a tradition for our family to come with the kids to cut down a tree every year," said the Barrington, R.I., resident at the tree farm with his family. "It's something that we didn't want to cut out."

Mark O'Connor, who traveled to the tree farm from Warwick, R.I., said going out and getting the tree has actually become a family tradition in itself. The cost, he said, was about the same as it is every year, $40.

It's the excitement and evergreen smells of the season he relishes. "There are other things you can cut back on," O'Connor said.

The National Christmas Tree Association reported that results of a consumer survey showed 31.3 million real trees were sold in 2007, with a retail value of $1.3 billion.

Gary Briggs of Briggs Nursery in North Attleboro said Monday that it was a "good weekend" for the start of tree sales, despite the frosty economy and cold weather. The little bit of snow last Sunday seemed to add a bit of festivity, as well, helping to get people into the spirit of the season.

"We're about where we were last year and the year before," in terms of tree sales, Briggs said. "I don't see where anybody is cutting back on Christmas trees." Trees at his nursery cost, on average, about $30 to $35.

Bobbi Jarvis, who said she buys a real tree every year, noted cost didn't count as much when it comes to their Christmas tree. For her, it's the real thing about the holiday.

"When I was growing up we had an artificial tree. My brothers and I always hated it," she said, adding a tree is "something that doesn't cost all that much."

(Staff writer Sue LaHoud contributed to this story.)