Ever received a Christmas gift that left you disappointed?

That's how some Britons are feeling about Norway's annual present to the country of a tree.

Every year, a spruce is felled outside Oslo and sent to London's Trafalgar Square as an offering of thanks from Norwegians for Britain's support during World War II.

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But in a rather unfestive outpouring, some in the UK have voiced their displeasure at this year's rather bare offering.

Photos show the tree with broken branches and one side with less growth than the other. And it hasn't taken long for people on Twitter to slam the spruce, saying that it was "threadbare," "half dead," or perhaps ill with COVID-19. Others said it was a symbol of modern British decline or speculated it might be an elaborate joke on Norway's part.

"Looks like last year's tree," James Carberry, 70, told Reuters on London's Trafalgar Square. While some in the capital said it looked "a bit sparse."

Criticism of the tree drew a diplomatic response from Oslo, which underscored the symbolism of the gift and that it originated in a forest.

"I am pleased that people are passionate – it is a sign that Londoners care about the present we have sent them," Mayor Borgen told Reuters. "The tree comes from a forest.

"This is a love tree and it means a lot to us to give it to Londoners. Though it started as a thank you to the British people for their help during World War II, it is now as much about friendship, solidarity, hope for the future and peace.

"The tree symbolizes all this and I hope that when the lights are turned on, the symbolic message behind the gift is what people have in mind."