Lovely Christmas Flowers
The history and significance of Christmas flowers
Christmas flowers are a wonderful addition to the spirit of the holiday season. Christmas flowers are sometimes used as decorations. Many people send Christmas flowers as gifts at Christmas time.
Laura Legend shares the history and significance of Christmas flowers...
The most widely recognized Christmas flowers are the poinsettia and the Christmas rose. Poinsettias are beautiful potted plants that are native to Mexico. Generally the flowers of the poinsettia are red; however, there are some of various colors. Red and white poinsettias are most commonly used as Christmas flowers.
Poinsettias are native to Mexico. Indians saw the poinsettia as a symbol of purity and they used it to make dye and medicine. Franciscan priests used poinsettias in a native fiesta.
The poinsettia Christmas flowers are named after Joel Roberts Poinsett who was the United States’ Ambassador to Mexico in the early 1800s. Poinsett sent poinsettia plants from Mexico to America where they were propagated at his greenhouse in South Carolina.
The poinsettia is primarily recognized as one of the Christmas flowers because of its beautiful, bright appearance and because it blooms during the Christmas season.
The Christmas Rose
The Christmas rose is also recognized as one of the Christmas flowers, and its legendary significance to the holiday is much richer than that of the poinsettia.
Because the Christmas rose grows wild in the mountains of Central Europe and blooms in the dead of winter, it is a logical candidate to be among Christmas flowers. It is a white rose that sometimes has pink tips.
The significance of the Christmas rose as a Christmas flower; however, comes from the legend of Madelon who, in some retellings is called Magi or is referred to by other names or simply as a shepherd maiden or shepherdess.
Christmas roses are called Christmas flowers, according to legend, because Madelon saw wise men and shepherds tramping through the snow bearing gifts for Jesus, the Newborn King. Madelon had no gifts to take to the manger and she so desired to go to worship and honor the Christ Child.
She searched and searched for flowers to take as a gift, but because the ground was covered in snow, there were no flowers to be found. Madelon began to cry with her tears falling on the snow. An angel saw Madelon weeping and where her tears fell, the angel pushed the snow aside and revealed a beautiful white rose. Thus, Christmas roses like the one taken by Madelon to the Newborn King became known as Christmas flowers.
Some versions of the legend say that Baby Jesus’ hand touched the white Christmas rose causing the tips of the Christmas flowers to turn pink.