Hundreds of people bundled up in thick scarves and fuzzy hats traversed bitter winds and near-freezing temperatures to gather around the 45-foot-tall Christmas tree, standing on the Boston Common Thursday night.

This year’s event marked the 83rd annual tree lighting on the Common. Hosted by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who flipped the switch to turn on the hundreds of LEDs both on the tree and around the Common and Public Garden, the event featured performances from local artists in New England and Nova Scotia and a headlining set by Boston natives American Authors.

The broadcast is made possible by a partnership with The City of Boston Parks and Recreation, WCVB Channel 5, and The Province of Nova Scotia.

Over the next few hours the crowd, which steadily grew inside and outside a gated area near the Visitors Center, enjoyed live performances of song and dance that culminated with the lighting of the 5,000-pound white spruce and the celebration of a decades-long friendship.

The tree, which traveled 700 miles over two days to arrive in Boston just before Thanksgiving, was gifted by Nova Scotia family Hugh and Liz Ryan as part of an exchange tradition that has endured for over five decades in commemoration of Massachusetts’ aid to the Canadian Province during the Halifax explosion of 1917.

Inside the invitation-only section near the stage, half of the seating is reserved for Nova Scotians who annually make the journey to attend the event, for whom the event holds a special significance beyond just the pretty colors.

Mike Mac Sween, a Cape Breton Island resident, made the 12-hour trek to watch the tree lighting for his second year. 

“When we had the Halifax explosion, the city of Boston was the first place that stepped up,” said Mac Sween. “[Boston] sent a trainload of materials and doctors and medical folks to help triage and support the city.” 

Mac Sween says it’s more than just the extreme explosion that binds the cities together. 

“Despite us being from different places, different countries, there are lots of long-standing connections between our part of Canada, New England, and Boston, families who’ve moved back and forth between [each place],” said Mac Sween. “That’s probably part of why the city of Boston stepped up back in the day to support us.”

Easily identifiable by their sea of custom white beanies and flags that they waved throughout the show, the large crowd of Nova Scotians was soon joined by their Premier Tim Houston.

“Nova Scotians are familiar with this story, and they’re familiar with the tradition and they value the tradition. So to have your tree picked to come to Boston? That’s a big deal,” Houston said.

Houston expanded on the importance of bringing the tree each year in an interview with The Beacon. 

“It’s a big deal. This means a lot to the people of Nova Scotia who remember what happened to Halifax in the explosion and the kindness of the people of Boston,” he said. “It’s our way of saying thank you and those relationships are strong, so we’re all happy to be here.”

As the crowd eagerly awaited the lighting of the tree, they sat back to enjoy performances from the likes of Nova Scotia artists Rita Mae and Morgan Toney, and Boston Arts Academy’s Blended Roots Choir, which all sang holiday classics in their style. 

The night also featured a musical theater rendition from the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s cast of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” which opens at the Cutler Majestic Theater on Dec. 8, and some goofing around by The Grinch who will be performing in his musical at the Wang Theatre later this week.

Then, American Authors took the stage to perform their hit, “Best Day of My Life,” and “Christmas Karaoke.” 

“We went from dropping out of Berklee down the road to playing Holiday Lights,” lead vocalist Zac Barnett said to the crowd as he ended his set.

As the formal event ended, Wu was joined on stage by Rudolph and Santa Claus. Wu pulled on a candy cane-shaped lever as WCVB’s television hosts Anthony Everett and Shayna Seymour led a countdown. Soon after, the Common became a wash with neon as thousands of electric bulbs took charge and red and blue fireworks lit up the Boston sky.

“This is such a special part of what makes Boston an incredible holiday community,” Wu said. “In addition to this gigantic beautiful tree that is a gift from our friends from Nova Scotia, we also celebrate some 30 to 40 trees, menorahs, and trellises with holiday lights across each one of our neighborhoods.”

As the event concluded, spectators flooded out into the Common and the cities’ surrounding streets. With Boston Common fully lit up for the holiday season, the city had an undeniable joyful air with each corner bustling with people and a merriment that went beyond the holiday spirit.

“It’s a good time in history to continue to celebrate unity and partnerships that transcend national boundaries,” Mac Sween said. “We are all humans at the end of the day and we all sometimes need a little bit of help … if roles were reversed we would absolutely do the same for the city of Boston.”