In this legend from Mexico, long ago a poor young girl wished to give a gift to the Christ child. An angel advised her to give of what she had with love.
After gathering weeds along with road, the young girl happily presented them to the baby Jesus. As he smiled and accepted them, the weeks blossomed into the beautiful scarlet red poinsettia plant. The blood-red flowers symbolize Jesus' death and sacrifice on the cross for the sins of all people. Anyone who believes in Jesus, asks forgiveness for sins and accepts him in one's heart is saved and will enjoy eternal life with God.
The poinsettia plant initially came to the United States with Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American botanist and the first U.S. Minister to Mexico. In 1825, he sent cuttings home to Charleston, South Carolina. As his birthday was December 12, that's when National Poinsettia Day is celebrated
However, it wasn’t until the early 1920s that the poinsettia took root in American culture. Paul Ecke, a second-generation farmer in California, discovered a grafting technique that caused the seedlings to branch. Hawking their Christmas flower at a roadside stands, Paul Ecke Jr. later advanced sales of the poinsettia through shipping and marketing.
Thanks for reading "Legend of the Poinsettia for Poinsettia Day December 12".
Comments(4)