How big is the star? Facts and figures about the Boston Common tree

How many light bulbs get Boston Rockin' Around the (Boston Common) Tree?

The Boston Common Christmas tree on Dec.6, 2022, with Park Street Church in the background. City of Boston Mayor's Office

By Eva Levin

December 4, 2024

1 minute to read

December 1917, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Two ships collided, causing a massive explosion. Boston sent medical aid and relief to the disaster site. Boston’s action forever earned Nova Scotia’s respect and generosity, according to the Canadian providence.

By now, you should know what this is about.

For the past 53 years, Nova Scotia’s gratitude takes the form of a giant evergreen in the Boston Common that has its own lighting ceremony.

This year’s ceremony, on Thursday, Dec. 5, will ring in 106 years of friendship between Nova Scotia and Boston. The Province of Nova Scotia is even a title sponsor of the event.

Boston-born band American Authors will headline the entertainment. Halifax singer-songwriter Ria Mae, the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, folk artist Morgan Toney, gospel singer Renese King, and the Boston Children’s Chorus will also perform.

As the clock winds down to 8 p.m., Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus himself will join Mayor Michelle Wu on stage by to light up the Common.

But what does it take to make the Common merry and bright?

The Boston Common tree lighting, by the numbers

This year, the 45-foot-tall white spruce will be adorned with just over 5,000 lights, a Boston Parks Department spokesperson told Boston.com. The other trees throughout the Common and Public Garden are adorned with more than 50,000 lights, the spokesperson said.

But the biggest and brightest decoration on the tree is the star. Coming in at six feet tall and five and a half feet wide, the star tops Nova Scotia couple Hugh and Liz Ryan’s tree. The Ryans donated the tree from Mattie Settlement, Antigonish County in NS.

In case you’re wondering, the star is approximately eight inches shorter than Jason Tatum, and could stack on itself just six times to reach the top of the Green Monster.