Londoners have mocked the appearance of this year’s "half-dead" Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, with some insisting it should be sent back to Norway.
Standing at 62ft (19 metres) tall, the spruce grew in Nordmarka, just outside of Oslo, before being chopped down, transported 1,000 miles and unveiled in central London on Monday in a scrawny condition.
People on social media were quick to mock the tree, which appeared to have been missing half of its volume before workers were seen hammering in extra branches, performing a “Christmas Miracle” transplant.
Workers hammer on extra branches— (@DanBarker)
“They are taking the p**s that ain’t a Christmas tree. Well it is but it’s not what we expect. Send it back,” one person said to initial pictures of the tree.
Another person tweeted: “Each year it feels like this is a visual representation of the state of the nation. This year is ‘meh, could be better, could be worse.’”
One follower asked: “Where’s the other half of it?!”
One X user posed: “Is it me, or does it look quite dead?”
Norway sends the UK a Christmas tree for Trafalgar Square every year as an annual tradition to thank its attempts to help defend the country during the Second World War. The tradition has been in place since 1947.
According to the MailOnline, this year’s tree may be the last dispatched from Norway with the tradition and transportation seen to be outdated and environmentally unfriendly.
“It’s 50:50 whether another one will be given,” a guest at the felling is alleged to have said.
The tree is cut down in Norway— (British Embassy Oslo)
An official Trafalgar Square Tree social media account defended the appearance in a series of sassy posts.
Replying to one post, they said: “Looks like you spoke to soon, look at me now! Also it’s not always about what’s on the outside, this is a beautiful tradition which I hope will carry on for years to come.”
Whatever the criticism this year’s looks far sprucier than 2021’s tree where it was said to resemble “a half-plucked chicken”.
