Why This Canadian Province Sends A Christmas Tree To Boston Every Year

When you first hear that the province of Nova Scotia sends a Christmas tree to Boston every year, you may think it’s a friendly gesture, but the real story behind the gift is truly heartwarming.

On December 6, 1917, tragedy struck the city of Halifax when two ships containing ammunition hit in the Halifax Harbour, resulting in the Halifax Explosion, the largest man-made explosion before the atomic bomb. By 10 pm that night, medical teams in Boston had mobilized and started to make their way to Halifax to provide relief. While a snowstorm delayed them, the trains arrived on December 8th with support and supplies, and the medical team was able to provide aid as well as relief to the Halifax medical staff, many of whom had been working without a break since the explosion.

That year, Halifax sent a Christmas tree to Boston, thanking them for their kindness, resources, and generosity. In 1971, the Lunenburg County Christmas Tree Producers Association sent a second tree to Boston to commemorate their support and promote exports, and a tradition began. The Government of Nova Scotia took over the gifting in 1976 and has been sending a tree ever since.

The tree is a huge source of pride for Nova Scotians and symbolizes the strong bond held between the two cities. In 2013, a group of runners led the tree out of Halifax in honor of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.

If you’d like to learn more about the tree’s journey, you can follow @treeforboston on Twitter and Facebook!

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.