From being consider weeds to becoming a recognized traditional symbol of the holiday season, the history of Poinsettias and Christmas is quite a story.
Poinsettias, or Nochebuenas as they are called in Mexico, are an indigenous plant to southern Mexico and parts of Central America. This plant, which was considered a weed by the Mayans and Aztecs of pre-Hispanic times, was given a name that meant “flower that grows in residues or soil”.
The poinsettia is not actually a flower but a smallish tree or shrub that grew to heights between 2 and 15 feet tall. In nature, it most commonly grew on Pacific Ocean facing slopes of mid-elevation hills.
The leaves (most commonly red) were boiled and used as a nature red or purple dye for cosmetic and textiles. The white sap that came from the poinsettia scraggily tree or shrub trucks had medicine properties that help to treat fevers.
The Mexican Legend of the Nochebuena Miracle
According to the excerpt below from https://culturacolectiva.com/history/poinsettia-nochebuena-christmas-history-symbolism
“It wasn’t until the 17th century when poinsettias would acquire the status of the Christmas flower. It all started with a legend.
According to the story, a poor girl called Pepita had no means to give Baby Jesus a gift on the Christmas Eve service as it was accustomed. Poor Pepita could only find a bunch of weeds on her way and arranged a humble bouquet. Although she was embarrassed about the gift, she was encouraged by her cousin to present it to Baby Jesus, since it was the intention and the love behind the gift that mattered the most. Legend has it when Pepita reached the altar and placed her bouquet in front of the nativity scene the weeds started to blossom into beautiful bright red flowers. It was considered a miracle.”
It is from this legend that the Poinsettia became known in Mexico and Guatemala as the flor de Nochebuena or simply nochebuena, meaning ‘Christmas Eve flower’
The history continues that many of the Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations. The plant’s the star-shaped leaves are said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, and the red color represents Jesus’s blood sacrifice at his crucifixion and the white leaves represent purity
Poinsettias became a staple of Christmas in Mexico and Central American, and massive cultivation became one of the main winter activities in towns like Taxco de Alarcón in the state of Guerrero, in Southern Mexico.
So how did the Poinsettia come to the United States?
In the 1820s, a man named Joel Roberts Poinsett became the first United States Ambassador to Mexico. He was a botany enthusiast and sent some cuttings of a reddish plant he found in Mexico back to his greenhouses in the United States. In the United States this new colorful plant became known as the Poinsettia.
The plant became a massive hit that National Poinsettia Day is celebrated every year on the anniversary of Poinsett’s death on December 12th.
So how did the Poinsettia become such a popular decoration associated with Christmas in the United States?
As we all know, the poinsettia is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. They became associated with the Christmas holiday decorations.
This story starts with a German emigrant named Albert Ecke who began cultivating poinsettias in the Los Angeles area in 1909. He began selling them on street stands but needed a push to make his business flourish.
Paul Ecke Jr. took over the family business in 1963 and expanded it heavily by re-locating Paul Ecke Ranch to larger production facilities in Encinitas, California.
To introduce people to the Poinsettia plant in the 1960s, Paul Ecke Jr. began to give poinsettias away to TV hosts such as Johnny Carson and Bob Hope. Television news stations and to women’s magazines for Christmas photo shoots. These promotions expanded sales incredibly.
Paul Ecke III took over Ecke Ranch in 1992 and expanded the production facilities to Guatemala, has grown to become the world’s largest poinsettia (Christmas star) producer with a 50% worldwide market share. After making operations international, he sold the family business in 2012.
For additional information check out these articles about the Ecke family:
https://www.sfgate.com/magazine/article/Ecke-family-made-poinsettias-a-holiday-tradition-2324348.php
To this day, the Poinsettias continue to be a recognized traditional symbol of the holiday season. Their beautiful color makes them an extremely popular gift each winter season.
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