By Scarlett  Steer

Once upon a Christmas Eve in a small Mexican village a little girl named Pepita and her cousin Pedro made their way to church. Barefoot and clothed in rags, they hung their heads in shame as they had no gift to offer to Baby Jesus.  As they entered the chapel, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered an armful of weeds, the only offering she could think to make. Downcast, she and Pedro approached the altar with their scraggly bouquet. But then an astonishing thing happened.  Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds bloomed brilliant red, and all who bore witness swore they had watched 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.

Other versions of the legend include Franciscan friars, instructions from an angel, wise words from Pedro and a single tear from Pepita. But regardless of which version takes your fancy, the end result is the same. Today poinsettias are synonymous with all things Christmas, and are sold across the world in their millions during the end of year holiday season.

In the beginning

Cultivation of Euphorbia pulcherrima, meaning very beautiful, can be traced all the way back to the 14th century and the Aztecs, who called the plant Cuetlaxochitl, meaning “mortal flower that perishes and withers like all that is pure.” Bountiful botanical gardens flourished throughout the Aztec empire in pre-Hispanic times where plants were cultivated for their decorative and medicinal value. The Cuetlaxochitl was regarded as ‘an exotic gift from nature’. It was highly prized by the Aztec Emperor Montezuma, and transported to his home in caravans as it could not be grown at the altitude in which he lived – today’s Mexico City. The sap of the Cuetlaxochitl was thought to have antibacterial and pain relief properties, particularly for tooth ache.  It was also used to alleviate warts, pimples and other skin problems, to stimulate lactation in nursing mothers, and as a hair remover (don’t try this at home).  From its bracts (red part of the leaves) a reddish purple dye was extracted, which came in handy in the ancient cloth-making industry. The Aztecs believed that the Cuetlaxochitl’s bright red color was given by the gods as a reminder of the periodic sacrifices made in accordance with the creation of the Fifth Sun – the world in which the Aztecs lived. The Aztecs regarded themselves as “the People of the Sun” and deemed it their responsibility to nourish the Sun god, Tonatiuh, through blood offerings and sacrifices. Failure would result in the disappearance of the sun from the sky and the end of their world. The intense red of the Cuetlaxochitl represented chalchimatl, the precious liquid of the sacrifices offered to the gods.

Coming to America

In the United States, as in most of the rest of the world, the plant is now known as the Poinsettia, and has a slightly different history although one with root still firmly planted in Mexican soil. It all began with a man named Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US minister to Mexico (the US only began appointing ambassadors in 1896). Poinsett was no slouch. He was a physician, an amateur architect, and a congressman. Before his time in Mexico, he was also appointed Secretary of War. He was also an avid botanist who bartered seeds with friends on a global scale. On Christmas day 1825, during his term as the US minister to Mexico, Poinsett allegedly visited a local Taxco church in Santa Prisca, where Franciscans friars had adorned a nativity scene with unusual bright red flowers. Poinsett was so taken with these striking blooms that he sent some home to friends and family in South Carolina.

Several unfortunate choices and one political dispute later, Poinsett was recalled to Washington where he succeeded in making a small fortune by introducing the poinsettia to the United States, as well as the rest of the world. He is also responsible for introducing the plant to the National Institute for the National Association of Science – what subsequently became the Smithsonian Institute. Dr. Roberts Faden, a botanist at the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of Natural History, claims that the poinsettia belongs to a vast and intriguing species of plants, the Euphobiaceac or Spurge family, which just might provide a cleaner, renewable substitute for gasoline and other fossil fuels.

In the wild, Poinsettias can reach an impressive 16 feet, although most people keep them in pots where they grow to approximately two foot. Through careful propagation, colors now range from white to cream to pink, although the scarlet version remains the most popular today.

It can perhaps be seen as ironic that the plant that formerly denoted Aztec blood sacrifice also came to symbolize the blood of Christ, Christmas, and the blood sacrifices of a U. S. Secretary of War who was responsible for allegedly displacing more Indians any other government official.

So this Christmas when you’re reaching for the turkey, have a care not to slop gravy on the brilliant red plant in the centre of the table. It’s more than just a pretty face.

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