F is for Flowers is the sixth post in a special series about Christmas traditions from A to Z that add sparkle, love, laughter, beauty, comfort, nostalgia, meaning, and joy to the Christmas season. Christmas is a time when our homes are the most festive in the year, often with exterior as well as interior decorations. And, flowers are one the most traditional forms for Christmas decorations.
is for Flowers.
Poinsettias are sometimes called the official Christmas flower. The plant is native to Mexico and in the 17th century was first used for Christmas by Franciscan monks in Nativity processions in the town of Taxco de Alarcon.
Joel Roberts Poinsett, a botanist from South Carolina, visited Mexico on a diplomatic mission in 1828. As a botanist he was intrigued with the unfamiliar plant's red leaves. He shipped some plants back to his home to grow and cultivate in his greenhouse and gave the flowers to friends around Christmas time.
