How did the poinsettia become associated with Christmas?

Answer 1

One story is of a poor little girl that had no gift to give Christ at Christmas Eve services. Her cousin told her that anything given in love to Christ was cherished by Him. So she picked some weeds from the ground, arranged them in a bouquet pattern, and laid them at the nativity scene. Shortly afterwards, the weeds turned into beautiful red flowers which were given the name Flowers of the Holy Night and later poinsettia after Joel Poinsett, an American diplomat.

Answer:

The poinsettia (euphorbia pulcherrima) as Christmas flower was popular as Native flowering shrub in Mexico with large red leaves encircling greenish yellow flowers and the only flowering plant during winter at the time when Christianity came to Mexico & North America. It became a symbol of Christmas and later a popular houseplant ..

Answer 2

The Poinsettia is known as the "Christmas star" or the "Christmas flower." It is also the December birth flower.

This winter flower's association with Christmas comes from a Mexican legend. The legend is told that a child with no means has to take a gift to a Christmas eve church service.

Being penniless, the child picked weeds from the side of the road. The congregation witnessed a miracle when the weeds turned into beautiful red and green flowers on the altar. These weeds, of course, turned out to be the poinsetta.

The poinsettia's botanical name is eurphorbia pulcherrima. It was named by a German botanist named Wilenow.

The plant gained popularity in the 1820's largely thanks to Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was appointed the first United States ambassador to Mexico.

An avid botanist, Poinsett wandered the countryside looking for new species of plants. He discovered a beautiful shrub by the side of the road. He took cuttings of the shrub and returned to his greenhouse in South Carolina. This shrub turned out to be the poinsettia.

Although Poinsett was an outstanding congressman and as an ambassador he will always be remembered for bringing the poinsettia to the United States.

By the 1900's the Ecke family of Southern California grew poinsettia for landscape plants. Eventually the family grew poinsettias in their greenhouses and scaled down the size of these plants for commercial use.

To this day they are recognized as a leading producer of poinsettas in the U.S. In the "language" of flowers, red, white or pink poinsettias symbolize good cheer and success and are said to bring wishes of celebration.

Answer 3

Poinsettias came to the United States from Mexico in 1828. It was named after Dr. Joel Roberts, the first US Ambassador to Mexico. It was not until the 20th century did it really start to be associated with Christmas.

Answer 4

This link explains it all.

Please see related link below.

because it is Christmas colors

Answer 5

because of an old Christmas story. The Hispanic preists used to decorate up and down the pue of the church aisles and put pointsettia at every end of the pew.