Everything you Need to Know About the Festive Poinsettias
Wondering which flowers to get for the festive season? Poinsettias are the brightest, most beautiful answer. Though they are called flowers and available at Fys Flowers for the festive season, they are actually leaves. Though they’re not the birth month flowers of December, they are truly representative of the month as they bloom in this time in its native, Mexico.
The meaning behind the name
The Aztecs called them cuetlaxōchitl (kwet-la-sho-she), which means flowers that wither a perish like all pure things eventually do. What great meaning in such a small word… A reminder of the ephemeral nature of beauty and a call to hit pause on our busy lives to appreciate the beauties this planet offers us. In Mexico, it is known as nochebuena — Christmas Eve flowers. It also wasn’t always called Poinsettia.
It is named after US Botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the US’s first ambassador to Mexico. It was here that he saw the bright red and green flora, sending them to the US and successfully cultivating them there in a greenhouse.
It’s because Poinsett popularized them in the western world that they became attributed to him and were given his name. As he was a slaveowner and played a role in the forced displacement of Native Americans, many have returned to calling them by the original name of cuetlaxōchitl.
Why is it festive?
It might be apparent from the red and green of poinsettias that they’re festive flowers. But did you know about the legend behind their creation?
It is said that poinsettias were created by an angel for a little girl who couldn’t afford Christmas presents. The angel instructed her to gather weeds and when she arranged them together, they magically turned into the poinsettias we love to decorate homes with today. It is a story of generosity and magic, something we need as we close up each year.
Ancient Uses
In the Aztec times, Poinsettias were used a variety of purposes other than decoration. The vibrant red color was extracted to use as a natural dye. The plant and especially its sap was once believed to have medicinal properties, used in cases of fever and pain. It was also used for cosmetic reasons for hair removal.
The Mayans also used it for medicinal reasons, but in the form of a solution for pregnant and postpartum women experiencing blood loss. While they used it for medicinal purposes in the past, it is not recommended for such use now.
Modern Meanings
Poinsettias grow in the night, needing extended hours of darkness to bloom. To me, this is a message of good things happening even in the gloom of darkness. When it seems like all hope is lost, poinsettias bloom bright as evidence that dark times will give way to cheer.
They spread positivity and joy as gifts exchanged leading up to the New Year. Though the flowers come in assorted colors, their quintessential red is a symbol of love.
At Fys Flowers, we have a variety of arrangements from bouquets to innovative baskets and boxed arrangements for easy care. Get poinsettias from Fys Flowers stores located in Sharjah and Dubai where our dedicated staff will help you put together the perfect flower arrangements for Christmas and New Year. Order online from anywhere in the UAE for easy flower delivery.