The poinsettia is native to Mexico. It has been associated with the Christmas season because the Mexicans thought the plants were symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem. The plant was brought to America over 100 years ago by Dr. Joel Poinsett, our first ambassador to Mexico.
In Mexico it is an old custom to take flowers to church on Christmas Eve and place them at the altar in honor of the birth of Jesus.
The legend of the poinsettia goes like this ...
Each Christmas Eve, the villagers would go to the church and take beautiful flowers to the baby Jesus. Young Mario would only follow the procession and watch because he was too poor to buy flowers for the Christ Child -- this made him very sad.
One year he was kneeling outside the church crying because he had no flowers to give. A voice from the stone angel near the church whispered to Mario to pick the weeds and take them inside to Jesus.
When Mario replied he couldn't give the Baby Jesus weeds, the angel told him that the simplest gifts, when given with love, are the most beautiful.
Mario picked the weeds and took them into the church. As he placed the weeds into the crib the brown stalks turned green and the dried leaves turned into a beautiful scarlet flower. The Mexicans call this beautiful flower the "Flor de la Noche Buena," or the Flower of the Holy Night.
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