Friday, December 16, 2011

The Legend of the Pointsettia

Do you use poinsettias as a part of your Christmas decorations?

These poinsettias greet people when they arrive at my house


Fake because I kill all live plants with my black thumb



They also grace my Christmas bed

Have you heard this Christmas legend?


"The ancient Aztecs (the Mexican Indians) prized the Poinsettia as a symbol of
purity. Centuries later, Mexico's early Christians adopted the Poinsettia as their
prized Christmas Eve flower. The Mexican Poinsettia, known as the Christmas
Flower in North America, is used in most Christmas decorations, owing to its
bright red color and its blooming season coinciding with the Christmas holiday
season. The Mexican Poinsettias are commonly bright red. For some, these
star-shaped bracts symbolize the Star of Bethlehem. The Christmas Poinsettia
flowers have become a symbol of Christmas and are used in festive decor.
A Mexican legend explains how Poinsettias came to be associated with
Christmas. Apparently, a child who could not afford a gift to offer to Christ on
Christmas Eve picked some weeds from the side of a road. The child was told
that a humble gift, if given in love, would be acceptable in God's eyes. When
brought into the church, the weeds bloomed into red and green flowers and the
congregation felt that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle!"


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