Troy Warren for CNT #Celebrations

NATIONAL POINSETTIA DAY

Each year on the 12th of December, people across the United States celebrate one of the most recognizable plants of the holidays on National Poinsettia Day.

In 16th-century Mexico, the connection between the poinsettia plant and the Christmas season begins. According to legend, a girl wanted desperately to celebrate Jesus’s birthday. Worried, the girl feared she would have no gift to offer because she was so poor. An angel tells her to give any gift with love. After gathering weeds from alongside the road, the young girl placed them in the manger. Miraculously the weeds bloomed into beautiful red stars.

The poinsettia initially came to the United States with Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American botanist and the first U.S. Minister to Mexico. In 1825, he sent cuttings home to Charleston, South Carolina.

However, it wasn’t until the early 1920s that the poinsettia started taking root in American culture. Paul Ecke, a second-generation farmer in California, discovered a grafting technique that caused the seedlings to branch. Hawking their Christmas flower at roadside stands, Paul Ecke Jr. later advanced sales of the poinsettia through shipping and marketing.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalPoinsettiaDay

Check out your local greenhouse or florist and fill your home with the beautiful poinsettia. While you’re there, order one for your neighbor or co-worker. Brightening someone’s day is another way to #CelebrateEveryDay. Don’t forget to offer a shout-out to the florist for their outstanding service. Use #NationalPoinsettiaDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL POINSETTIA DAY HISTORY

The House of Representatives in 2002 created Poinsettia Day to honor the father of the poinsettia industry, Paul Ecke. The date of December 12 marks the death of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the man responsible for bringing the plant to the United States.

Poinsettia FAQ

Q. Can I grow a poinsettia all year long?
A. It’s possible to keep your poinsettia growing long past the holidays, though most people do not. The plant is a bit temperamental and more work than most people want to put into keeping.

Q. Do poinsettias come in different colors?
A. Poinsettias’ traditional blooms are white. However, the flower also comes in orange, pink, purple, red, salmon, and yellow.