In a shocking twist during the holiday season, the National Christmas Tree refused to fulfill its festive duties and toppled over on Tuesday afternoon, causing concern among federal park workers and briefly casting doubt on the plans for the national tree-lighting ceremony.

This story can be seen as a metaphor for various situations.

Critics of the president have already likened the tree to President Biden’s economic policies, blaming Mr. Biden for failing to prevent the tree from falling, as if securing a Christmas tree to the ground was his sole responsibility as president (he was actually in Georgia at a memorial service for former first lady Rosalynn Carter).

Some may find this unfortunate mishap oddly relatable. Perhaps the tree was just exhausted, or maybe the pressure was too much. The incident occurred when a strong gust of wind caused the 40-foot Norway spruce to fall over. Workers were working to right the tree using a crane, even as it lay on its side with its lights still on.

Initially, it seemed uncertain if the original tree would be in usable condition for the ceremony on Thursday evening, which will feature celebrities such as singer Dionne Warwick and actor Darren Criss. However, workers were able to repair a snapped cable and assess the tree’s condition, getting it upright again by 6 p.m.

One hundred years ago, the first lady Grace Coolidge allowed District of Columbia Public Schools to plant a tree on the Ellipse. Since 1923, several trees have faced similar mishaps. In a not surprising turn of events for Washington, the area has become windier over the years, as per a weather analysis by The Washington Post’s Capitol Weather Gang.