Is this the worst Christmas tree trend ever?

NZ Herald

30 Nov, 2017 10:51 PM2 mins to read

Claridges hotel in London has opted for an upside down tree. Photo / Instagram

A lot of bizarre trends have cropped up in 2017, so it shouldn't really come as a surprise that the latest casualty is the humble Christmas tree.

Apparently displaying your tree the way nature intended is no longer good enough: you've got to turn it upside down to be considered hip this year.

Don't let physics stand in your way, or the fear of pine needles raining down on you. Because with beauty comes sacrifice, right?

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Upside down Xmas tree #holidayseason #upsidedownchristmastree #sandiego #abc7eyewitness #abc7holiday #tistheseason #coronadobeach #hoteldelcoronado #foxla #nbc4you @delcoronado #nbc #mysdphoto

A post shared by 👸🏾Sᕼᗩᗴᗷᗩ (शैबा) (@travelling_glory) on Nov 25, 2017 at 7:17pm PST

The trend was first spotted in 2016 after a San Francisco shopping centre hung a giant Christmas tree upside down from the ceiling, much to the joy of Instagram-savvy millennials.

Bizarrely, it took off and the hashtag #upsidedownchristmas tree was trending in no time.

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Another installation done! We did an upside down Christmas tree for our client this year. #throughthegardengate #upsidedownchristmastree

A post shared by Through the Garden Gate (@throughthegardengate) on Nov 27, 2017 at 6:10am PST

Even London's conservative Claridges Hotel has jumped on board with an inverted Christmas tree, designed by none other than Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld.

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Claridge’s Christmas Tree 2017 by the legendary Karl Lagerfeld unveiled this morning in our lobby #childhoodmemories #traditions #candlelit #invertedtree #silverroots #reflections #claridgeschristmastree #feelingfestive #claridges 🎄🎄🎄

A post shared by CLARIDGE’S (@claridgeshotel) on Nov 22, 2017 at 3:07am PST

In case you were wondering how one might go about watering the tree because, well, gravity, or were concerned about pine needles falling on your head, there's an artificial version available, of course.

Australian homeware company Balsam Hill designed the upside down tree especially for those living "down under". However, the trending tree will set you back nearly $1000.

"Designed for the Land Down Under, where Christmas can mean a roast turkey as much as it means a seafood feast on the barbie, our Upside-Down Christmas Tree allows you to have a holiday celebration as unique as Australia's Christmas traditions," the Balsam Hill website reads.

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Balsam Hill Australia’s Upside-Down Christmas Tree is becoming quite popular to homeowners because of the creativity and fun it brings to the home. This fanciful Christmas tree has an inverted design that not only provides more room for presents—it captures the magic and merriment of the holidays in true Australian fashion by turning tradition on its head. #UpsideDownChristmasTree #UniqueChristmasTree #FancyChristmasTree #DecoratingForChristmas #Christmas

A post shared by Balsam Hill Australia (@balsamhillau) on Oct 24, 2017 at 5:48pm PDT

As enamoured as folks are on Instagram, over on Twitter, people aren't so impressed, with one stating the trend makes "the baby Jesus cry" and another blaming Donald Trump for turning yet another thing in the world upside down.