The Legend of the Poinsettia

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The Legend of The Poinsettia

A charming story is told of Pepita, a poor Mexican girl
who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas
Eve Services. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with
her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather
than joy. "I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift,
if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes,"
said Pedro consolingly.

Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside
and gathered a handful of common weeds, fashioning them
into a small bouquet. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds,
she felt more saddened and embarrassed than ever by the
humbleness of her offering. She fought back a tear as she
entered the small village chapel.

As she approached the alter, she remembered Pedro's kind
words: "Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be
acceptable in His eyes." She felt her spirit lift as she knelt
to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene.

Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of
brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they
had witnessed a Christmas miracle right before their eyes.

From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the
"Flores de Noche Buena", or "Flowers of the Holy Night",
for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season.

[Poinsettia]

Today, the common name for this plant is the poinsettia!

Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsettia was the American ambassador to
Mexico from 1825 to 1829. His keen interest in botany made
him very interested in the "Flower of the Holy Night" and he
brought it back to his home in South Carolina. It became
very popular as a Christmas plant and was named after him.

Source Unknown