A symbol of enduring gratitude, this year’s Christmas tree has arrived in the Boston Common, marking the 53rd annual donation of a tree from Nova Scotia. The tree, a 45-foot white spruce, was driven down from the rural community of Mattie Settlement in Antigonish County on Sunday and arrived in the Common on Tuesday morning.

The Boston Christmas Tree will be arriving in Boston from Nova Scotia on Tuesday. The Canadian Province donates a tree every year as a thank-you for Boston’s assistance during the Halifax Explosion in 1917. Boston sent supplies and medical personnel within hours of the explosion.

It’s the 53rd year Boston has received its Christmas tree from Nova Scotia. This year’s tree is a 30-year-old spruce that comes from Hugh and Liz Ryan of the Mattie Settlement in Nova Scotia’s Antigonish County.

This year’s tree was donated by Hugh and Liz Ryan of Canada, the city’s parks and recreation department announced earlier this month.

For the 53rd year, a Christmas tree was gifted by the province of Nova Scotia to the city of Boston. It arrived Tuesday on Boston Common.