Boston's giant Christmas tree arrives on the Common, from our festive friends to the north

Boston's official Christmas tree has completed its long journey from Nova Scotia onto the city's Common.

Nova Scotians have kept up the festive tradition for half a century now of cutting down a mighty white spruce pine and shipping it off to Massachusetts.

This year's 48-foot-tall tree set sail on a shipping vessel from Halifax, Canada, first landing in Portland, Maine, before being mounted on a truck bound for Boston.

It's an annual gift of gratitude that dates back to 1917, when an explosion leveled the city of Halifax and killed nearly 1,800 people. Boston sent help, and the province hasn't forgotten.

"This story is an important one," said Stacey Oxner, director of events for Nova Scotia's government. "The pandemic has been hard on all of us, but we're coming together recognizing this friendship that we have, and celebrating it and commemorating it."

COVID-19 forced a virtual tree lighting last year, but the in-person event is on for this year, set for Dec. 2.