A man from Boston is saying thank you to the Nova Scotians who brightened his holidays this year.

Ryan McDermott says he’s long been curious about Nova Scotia because of the Christmas tree the province sends to Boston every year.

The tree thanks Boston for emergency aid the city sent in the aftermath of the 1917 Halifax Explosion.

This year McDermott was at loose ends, and when he realized he’d be spending Christmas alone he decided to travel to Nova Scotia.

"It sort of seems like the Christmas capital to me, in my mind," McDermott said of Nova Scotia. "I'm not sure if that's true or not, but it's the Christmas capital in my mind."

McDermott asked readers of the online forum Reddit for suggestions on where to go and what to see.

"I checked the post just a couple of hours later and it had blown up," McDermott said. "People had lists of things for me to see, music to see, places to see and I had a few offers to stay on couches."

Since arriving he’s not had to pay for a room to stay in, nor hardly any meals.

McDermott said he's had some quintessential Nova Scotia experiences, such as enjoying the music scene in Cape Breton and eating a donair.

"I couldn't be more impressed by the hospitality and humour and good nature of the people I’ve met here," he said. "It's been unbelievable."