Here, we see one of our Poinsettia centerpieces, which will grace the table until early January. Poinsettias have been associated with Christmas for centuries, especially in Central America, where they originated.
Most reports indicate that this is because of a Mexican legend in which a poor girl didn’t have enough money to buy a gift for the infant Jesus at Christmas services. She picked weeds and placed them in the church manger and the weeds turned into beautiful flowers shaped like the Star of Bethlehem.
The American name Poinsettia is a tribute to Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first American ambassador to the U.S., who introduced the plants to this country in the 19th Century. (Their scientific name is Euphobia pulchrrima.) The plants weren’t widely used in North American holiday celebrations until the second half of the 20th Century, when entrepreneur Paul Ecke, Jr., began to promote them for decorations in holiday television shows. (Brooklin, Maine)