Christmas Flowers

The word Christmas comes from the words Cristes maesse, or Christ's Mass. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The association of flowers with the celebration of Christmas is very intense. Particularly, flowers like Poinsettias, Christmas Cactus, Holly, Christmas Rose, Ivy, Mistletoe, etc., symbolize the joy and spirit of christmas.

Poinsettia

Potted poinsettias are popular gifts on the eve of Christmas. Brightly colored, mostly red, Poinsettia provides effective color in home decor during and after the holiday season. Gift a Poinsettia plant to share your joy of Christmas.

The ancient Aztecs (the Mexican Indians) prized the Poinsettia as a symbol of purity. Centuries later, Mexico's early Christians adopted the Poinsettia as their prized Christmas Eve flower. The Mexican Poinsettia, known as the Christmas Flower in North America, is used in most Christmas decorations, owing to its bright red color and its blooming season coinciding with the Christmas holiday season. The Mexican Poinsettias are commonly bright red. For some, these star-shaped bracts symbolize the Star of Bethlehem. The Christmas Poinsettia flowers have become a symbol of Christmas and are used in festive decor.

A Mexican legend explains how Poinsettias came to be associated with Christmas. Apparently, a child who could not afford a gift to offer to Christ on Christmas Eve picked some weeds from the side of a road. The child was told that a humble gift, if given in love, would be acceptable in God's eyes. When brought into the church, the weeds bloomed into red and green flowers and the congregation felt that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle!

Christmas Cactus

Christmas Cactus is a great gift idea on Christmas eve when in full bloom. Pendulous stems of Christmas cactus make it a great choice for hanging baskets and thus can be a great decor during the festive season. Further, the colors of the cactus blooms are very flamboyant, coming in a wide variety of colors including red, purple, orange, pink, fuschia, cream, etc.

Christmas Rose

Christmas Rose is regarded as a true Christmas flower. Christmas Rose (Serissa) is also known as the Snow Rose or Winter Rose. Christmas Rose blooms during the winter in the mountains of Central Europe.

According to legends the Christmas flower is linked with the birth of Christ and a modest shepherd maiden named Madelon. As Madelon tended her sheep one cold and wintry night, wise men and other shepherds passed by the snow-covered field with their gifts for the Christ Child. The wise men carried the rich gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense and the shepherds, fruits, honey and doves. Poor Madelon began to weep at the thought of having nothing to offer, not even a simple flower for the Newborn King, as she was very poor indeed. And as she stood there weeping, a passing angel saw her sorrow, and stooping down he brushed aside the snow at her feet revealing a most beautiful white flower tipped with pink - the Christmas Rose.

Recommended Products for Christmas

The Flower Expert recommends the following popular products for christmas gifting. Convey your warm wishes with these popular gifts on the joyous occasion of Christmas!!

Ivy

Ivy is also seen as a symbol of eternal life and is used in Christmas decorations. Ivy flower is symbolic of the festival of Christmas in many ways. The Ivy flower symbolizes three facts - it clings; it thrives in the shade; and it is evergreen. Its clinging has made the ivy a traditional symbol of the, albeit now unpopular, image of the helpless female clinging to her man for protection. It also signifies true love, faithfulness, and undying affection - both in marriage and in friendship. Christian symbolists consider the ivy's need to cling to a support emblematic of frail humanity's need for divine support. Like most of the other Christmas Flowers, ivy flowers symbolize eternity and resurrection. The Ivy flower has been associated with the Egyptian God, Osiris, and the Greco-Roman god, Attis; both of whom were resurrected from the dead.

At Christmas time, ivy is used only on the outside of the building, which represents immortality, because Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, the giver of everlasting life and destroyer of death. Greenery was also brought indoors to freshen the air and brighten the mood during the long, dreary winter.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe is a Christmas flower whose origin dates back to the Pagans. Druid priests used this Christmas flower two hundred years before the birth of Christ in their winter celebrations. They revered the flower, since the plant, even devoid of roots, remained green during the cold months of winter. Kissing under the mistletoe is a Christmas tradition followed since ages.

There are two types of mistletoe. The mistletoe that is commonly used as a Christmas decoration (Phoradendron flavescens) is native to North America and grows as a parasite on trees from New Jersey to Florida. The other type of Mistletoe, Viscum album, is of European origin.

Other Greens for Christmas

Christmas trees and christmas wreaths made of Balsam fir, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, Noble fir, Scotch pine, White pine and holly are very popular on the eve of Christmas. Thus, Christmas seems to be a celebration of the season and nature and not that of just a religion. The celebration revolves around the greens - leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, etc., of the new season.