BOSTON —

Boston's annual Christmas Tree celebrates much more than just the holiday; it also celebrates a historic friendship between two communities that's been more than a century in the making.

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. They've sent a tree to Boston for more than five decades.

On Dec. 6, 1917, two ships collided in Halifax Harbour, causing a devastating explosion that killed nearly 2,000 people and left hundreds more severely injured and homeless. Boston then dispatched a train full of supplies and emergency personnel within a day of the disaster.

This year, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu went in person to celebrate the festivities, the first time a Boston mayor has taken the trip up n

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