Origin of the poinsettia
With the arrival of Christmas 2011, there are many people waiting for the beginning of what has become for centuries one of the most popular festivals.
Although it was once a purely religious festival (and in fact, even today they still maintain their main religious elements), the truth is that it tends to be more usual to forget those elements and simply enjoy a moment of joy, joy , happiness and tranquility with the beings we love most next to a good table full of delicious Christmas recipes.
But to fully enjoy these popular festivals it is appropriate to discover a little more about their most characteristic elements. As is the case, for example, of Christmas origin. However, among these key elements, the arrival of the so-called poinsettia (also known as Christmas flower or Poinsettia).
What is the poinsettia?
The one named as poinsettia It is a very special plant at Christmas, given that during these dates, many homes are filled with these plants as a decorative Christmas symbol (especially for its characteristic colors, which at the same time tend to be the most classic and usual of these holidays: red and green).
It is a plant native to Central America, specifically from Mexico, a country where Poinsettia It had an important symbolism for the mysterious Aztec culture. Not in vain, was a plant used to offer it to their Gods or simply as a medicinal remedy.
What is the origin of the poinsettia as a Christmas flower?
Although historically, the origin of the Christmas flower conceived as such, it is true that there is evidence that already in the sixteenth century, Franciscan friars who evangelized the population of Taxco de Alarcón (Mexico) already used it in their Christmas decorations as a floral ornament.
But if there is a person who really became the true creator of the plant being known throughout the world, that was Joel Roberts Poinsett, who between the years 1825 and 1829 exerted the position of ambassador of the United States in Mexico.
Historians say that Poinsett began to give this plant to his friends for Christmas, which is ultimately when it is at its peak. Little by little, this action became a tradition, and from there came December 12, 1991, in which the United States proclaimed itself the Day of the Poinsettia, as a tribute and commemoration of the date on which Poinsett died: December 12, 1851.
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Image | Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar TopicsChristmas
