ANTHONY: WELCOME BACK. AT LAST, IT’S TIME TO LIGHT THE TREE. SHAYNA: ARE YOU READY? ANTHONY: THIS TRULY IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE TRADITIONS, ONE WE ARE HAPPY YOU ARE JOINING US FOR TONIGHT. ALL THE GREAT PERFORMANCES THAT WE HEAD. WE ARE ABOUT TO COUNT DOWN. WE WILL NEED YOUR HELP WITH THE COUNT DOWN. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6,5, 4, 3, 2, 1 — [CROWD CHEERS]
For the 53rd year, a Christmas tree gifted by the province of Nova Scotia to the city of Boston will arrive Tuesday on Boston Common. This year’s tree for Boston, a white spruce, comes from the property of Hugh and Liz Ryan in Mattie Settlement in Antigonish County. The tree is an annual gift from Nova Scotia to the city to show appreciation for Boston’s help after the Halifax Explosion in 1917. On Dec. 6, 1917, two ships collided in Halifax Harbour, …