Poinsettia Flowers

Poinsettia Flowers by Regina Geoghan. A close up image of the red flowers of a poinsettia holiday plant. While most poinsettia flowers seen in the... more

by Regina Geoghan

Title

Poinsettia Flowers

Artist

Regina Geoghan

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Poinsettia Flowers by Regina Geoghan. A close up image of the red flowers of a poinsettia holiday plant. While most poinsettia flowers seen in the USA are cultivated, these flowers that are so popular as holiday decorations are native to Mexico and Central America. The flowers got their common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett,[3] the first U.S. Minister to Mexico] who introduced the plant here in 1825. In Mexico it is named Flor de Noche Buena, meaning Christmas Eve Flower. This history of the use of these flowers as Christmas dr is a lovely story. According to Wikipedia "The plant's association with Christmas began in 16th-century Mexico, where legend tells of a girl, commonly called Pepita or Maria, who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus' birthday and was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations. The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents the blood sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus."

Uploaded

November 22nd, 2015