The poinsettia, or in Spanish “la flor de la Noche Buena” (flower of the Holy Night), was brought to this country by Dr. Joel Poinsett who was the American ambassador to Mexico from 1825-1829. The flower was named after him and has become a symbol of Christmas in the United States.
The beautiful colored part of the poinsettia is not really a flower but special leaves called bracts. The plant must experience a critical number of hours of darkness each night for a certain number of days for the leaves to turn their brilliant color. If that doesn’t occur, the plant remains green and ordinary.
The things we do at Christmas
should remind us why Christ came,
And that it is a holiday,
which should glorify his name.
There is a plant at Christmas
whose leaves are vivid red.
Its story is a good one
to keep inside your head.
The plant we call Poinsettia,
was named after Joel Poinsett.
He was ambassador to Mexico,
and there the seeds did get.
He gave some plants as presents
when to the U.S. he came back.
Now they’re a part of Christmas
that most houses do not lack.
In Mexico the plant is called,
“Flower of the Holy Night,”
And serves as a reminder
Christ turns sorrow into light.
Surrounding it’s a legend,
a tale that’s often said,
Of how its leaves changed color
from green to brilliant red.
One Christmas night a poor girl
stood at a manger scene,
That her heart was breaking
by her tears was clearly seen.
When asked why on that Christmas night
she was feeling sad,
She said she had no gift to bring
to make her Savior glad.
She was told by someone present
on that Christmas night,
That the gift to give to Jesus
is a heart that’s truly right.
Any gift that’s given
from a heart that’s full of love,
Will bring great joy in heaven
to the Father up above.
And so that little girl
went to see what she could find,
Because her heart was right
and to Jesus was inclined.
She picked a lowly plant
that seemed just like a weed,
But it was out of love for Christ
she did this simple deed.
When to the altar she did go
to give that humble gift,
A change occurred to the plant,
miraculous and swift.
The leaves turned red and beautiful;
they had been only green.
A miracle from Jesus
the people thought they’d seen.
This Christmas do a heart check
to see if yours is right.
Are your words and actions
reflecting Jesus’ light?
The gift that Jesus wants from you
is one that you can give.
It’s a heart that truly loves him,
shown by the way you live.