History of Boston Common’s Christmas Tree

Santa Claus took part in the Boston Common Tree Lighting Ceremony on November 29.

Fireworks helped celebrate this year’s tree lighting ceremony on November 29.

Libby MacPherson , 10, and her mother Kate of Hingham were among those attendind the annual tree lighting ceremony on November 29.

The Boston Common Christmas tree arrived on Friday as a crowd of children and Santa Claus watched.

The tree is an annual gift from the people of Nova Scotia as a way to thank the Boston community for providing emergency assistance when its capital, Halifax, was devastated by an explosion in 1917.

Keep clicking through to see of some of the trees dating back to 1931.

The 45-foot white spruce rode into the city on the back of a flatbed truck and took a tour through downtown escorted by Boston Police before arriving at the gates of the Boston Common.

Once in the Common, the tree was greeted by and a students from Mather Elementary School in Dorchester who have become pen pals with children at St. Stephen’s School in Halifax.

Workers will begin decorating the seasonal centerpiece with 6,000 LED lights and string another 48,000 LED lights on 60 other trees throughout the Common.

Pictured are the Common’s tree in 2008 and in 1968.

1931

The Common Christmas tree, which was then covered in blue lights, sits alone on Dec. 22, 1931.

1934

The Common Christmas tree on Dec. 21, 1934.

1935

The Common Christmas tree on Dec. 24, 1935.

1936

The Common Christmas tree on Dec. 26, 1936.

1945

The Common Christmas tree on Dec. 24, 1945.

1946

Wrapping up another year of the Christmas tree lighting, workers took down the decorations on Jan. 5, 1946.

1964

A small white chapel sat on the Common during the Christmas Festival on Dec. 6, 1964.

1965

Tony Lascuola of East Boston took photos of his sons, John, 5, and Peter, 8, as they looked at the displays on the Common on Dec. 13, 1965.

1968

Photo from the Nov. 29, 1968, tree lighting.

1969

The winter of love? Boston kicked off the season on Dec. 4, 1969.

1970

The Dec. 1, 1970, lighting of the Common tree.

1982

The Dec. 5, 1982, lighting on the Common.

1987

The Common tree during its Dec. 6, 1987, lighting.

1993

Thirty-thousand bulbs were lit on the 1993 tree.

1995

Molly Shea, 2, of Hopkinton, rides atop her father Bob’s shoulders after the tree was lit. It was Shea’s first time seeing the tree lit.

1998

Diane Nititham enjoys the lights from the Christmas tree on the Common along with her boyfriend, Johnathan Buya. They were visiting from Chicago.

2003

Fireworks during the tree lighting on Dec. 4, 2003.

2005

Fireworks go off as the 48-foot white spruce Christmas tree is lit on Dec. 1, 2005.

2006

A crowd watches the Christmas tree lighting and fireworks display on Nov. 30, 2006.

2007

The Common tree in 2007.

2008

Fireworks during the 2008 tree lighting.

2008

The tree glows shortly after its seasonal lighting in 2008.

2009

Janet Pagan and Angel Martinez of Roxbury taking a picture of themselves in front of Boston’s Christmas Tree in the Common on Dec. 14, 2009.

2010

The 2010 tree was donated by Gary and Roseann Meisner of North Alton, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia.