December 12 marks National Poinsettia Day, an observance dedicated to the flower that has become a popular symbol of the holiday season. Close to $200 million is spent on decorative poinsettias every year. But why do we associate the bright red (or white variety) poinsettia with Christmas?
During a trip to Mexico in 1828, American botanist and U.S. Ambassador, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, came across the wild plant with its beautiful, red, star shaped leaves (Euphorbia Pulcherrima). In Mexico, poinsettias are known as Flores de Noche Buena (flowers of the holy night) for their association with the Star of Bethlehem. Poinsett sent cuttings home to South Carolina, where the greenhouse grown plants were seen as a curiosity.
Decades later, a German immigrant living in California, Albert Ecke, began selling poinsettias from flower stands during the holidays. His grandson, Paul, continued to work on producing more hybrids and promoting the poinsettia as the must have houseplant for Christmas. Today, poinsettias are grown and enjoyed across the world.
Greeting Card Universe’s poinsettia themed Christmas cards bring color and holiday cheer to make your winter season brighter, or help you celebrate a December birthday.
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