Poinsettia Day is celebrated on December 12, it is also known as the flower of Christmas but wasn’t always that way. The poinsettia is native to Mexico and goes back to the Aztecs who used them for flowers, cosmetics, to make purple dye and medicines.

A Mexican legend tells the story of how the poinsettia was attached to Christmas. A young girl going to church for Christmas Eve Service didn’t have a gift to give to the baby Jesus so she picked a handful of weeds from the side of the road and made a small bouquet. As she approached the alter the weeds burst into bright red flowers, and everyone who saw it believed they saw a miracle.

Another way the poinsettia became associated with Christmas is the fact the flower and leaves are thought to look like a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, the red colored leaves symbolize the blood of Christ and the white leaves represent his purity.

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