December 12th is National Poinsettia Day #NationalPoinsettiaDay. I still haven’t finished decorating inside our house or even outside. It doesn’t seem like I’m going to be able to get our #Christmas decorations from David’s closet. I need to change how I was going to decorate this year.
Instead of a Christmas Tree I was thinking of getting different Gift Bags featuring #cartoon characters to use to create a college to put our presents under. On the front table and our dinning room table and outside I was thinking of getting red and white #Poinsettia’s to put out with the Christmas flags and blow ups I have to put out. Would you like to help me decorate because I sure could use your thoughts.
That pop of floral color that comes from Poinsettia’s in everyone’s home means the holidays are right around the corner. National Poinsettia Day falls on December 12th which forms a cultural bridge between the U.S. and Mexico.
Poinsettias, known as Euphorbia Pulcherrima, come in hundreds of beautiful colors. Even if you have a limited holiday decorating budget, strategically placed Poinsettias can enhance your home in a variety of ways. Bottom line: What’s a holiday party without a gorgeous Poinsettia Plant placed somewhere for your guests to see.
National Poinsettia Day Activities
- Did you know there is such a thing as Poinsettia Punch, and what’s more, it’s delicious and easy to make. Blend together 14 ounces of Cranberry Juice with 20 ounces of Ginger Ale. Throw in a dash of Lemon Juice for Citrus zing. Then, it’s glasses all around and a toast to National Poinsettia Day.
- If you have the means and the opportunity today inspire holiday designs throughout your home. Assemble your children and friends to make unusual Poinsettia-themed cutouts for your Christmas Tree.
- Create Poinsettias out of stained glass, sand dollars, or other unusual materials and remember you’re only limited by your imagination.
- If you have the time today visit your local Botanical Garden which is a perfectly lovely way to celebrate National Poinsettia Day. Not only will you be bowled over by the amazing varieties of your Poinsettias, but the peaceful environment will do wonders for your blood pressure.
Facts About Poinsettias
- The legendary Aztec King Montezuma believed that Poinsettia sap reduced fevers so he had caravans deliver the flowers to him in what is now modern Mexico City.
- Given that the most popular Poinsettia color is red, you may be surprised to learn that among the current 100 varieties of Poinsettias, Gold Rush and Christmas Beauty Marble are the latest hot new colors.
- Contrary to popular opinion, Poinsettias are not poisonous, but it’s still a good idea to keep Poinsettias away from Pets because the plants might cause stomach upset and in some cases, vomiting.
- The Poinsettia industry gushes over their Plants because they are the best-selling potted Plant in both the U.S. and Canada.
- Poinsettias are Perennials that are able to bloom after the holidays, but you have to do a ton of work during the Spring and Summer to get Poinsettias to do it.
Why People Love National Poinsettia Day
- Did you know what we refer to as National Poinsettia Day is called “La Flor de la Nochebuena” or Flower of the Holy Night in Mexico.
- Poinsettias are revered in Mexico because of a legend that recounts the story of a poor little girl who despaired of having no gift for Jesus’ birthday. When an angel appears to tell the child that the most important thing is to give a gift with love, the child gathers weeds from the side of a road to place in the baby’s manger. Miraculously, the weeds bloomed into gorgeous red star flowers.
- Joel Roberts Poinsett was the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Poinsett was also an enthusiastic Botanist who sent Poinsettia cuttings home to Charleston, South Carolina in 1828. When the Plant first arrived, early Botanists considered Poinsettia to be a weed. National Poinsettia Day marks the passing of Joel Roberts Poinsett and pays tribute to his love of Poinsettia.
- Paul Ecke, Jr., a farmer in California, became the father of the modern-day Poinsettia industry and he is celebrated for discovering a grafting technique which caused the seedlings to branch. Eventually, the flower bloomed into one of the largest and most profitable American businesses. Today, Poinsettias contribute about $250 million annually to the U.S. economy
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
