Saturday, December 1, 2012

Christmas Star


Poinsettias are such beautiful accessories for the holiday season. I always find myself filling my home with these beauties, which is most appropriate because poinsettias are called "Christmas Stars" by many.

These flowery shrubs (yes, they were originally known as shrubs) began association with Christmas in 16th century Mexico. Legend tells of a young girl who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday. An angel came to the child and encouraged her to gather weeds from the roadside, then place them in front of the church altar. Miraculously, crimson "blossoms" sprouted from the weeds, turning into beautiful poinsettias. 17th century Franciscan monks in Mexico started including the plants in their Christmas celebrations. Today, we just can't do without a few "Christmas stars" in our holiday decor. It's called Celebrating Jesus, just as it happened centuries ago.

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