24 Days of Martin – Day 2: Poinsettias

Martin loves plants and flowers.  You’ve probably seen many of the photos he has me take of him sitting in, or next to, some of his favorite plants.  Martin has been going around town and browsing in shops looking at holiday decorations.  He has decided he would like to decorate not just any tree, but a live Christmas Tree.  While entering his favorite garden store to buy a live tree, Martin noticed where there was normally a large and beautiful urn filled with many colorful and bright flowers, today there were lots of poinsettia plants, dozens more than normal.  He saw his favorite person in the garden store: Doña Rosa.  Not only was Doña Rosa very kind and cheerful, she was very knowledgeable about plants and always had wonderful stories about where the plants originally came from, fantastic legend and myth stories about exotic plants, and most important to Martin, she always had time to tell him the stories and answer all his questions.  

Martin made his way over to Doña Rosa.  She was standing in an area filled with various types of Christmas Trees: cut and potted.  The scent of the all the Christmas trees together made Martin immediately think of decorated trees with blinking lights and colored balls and candy canes and red ribbons.  He excitedly told her about his plan to decorate a live tree this year, then plant it in his garden so he could light it again next year. She was quite pleased and commented on his environmental friendliness and his use of sustainable plantings.

Martin and Doña Rosa selected the perfect Norway Spruce for Martin’s live  Christmas Tree.  After Doña Rosa finished arranging for the spruce to be loaded, in Martin’s Mom’s car, Martin’s gaze wandered back to all those poinsettias.  He asked Doña Rosa about the unusual amount of poinsettia plants. Doña Rosa told Martin with a whisper of amusement:  “There’s a wonderful story there Martin.  You will really like it because it starts in Mexico. ”  Martin was very excited and pleaded with Dona Rosa to tell him the story.  She smiled and pointed to an elderly gentleman sitting in a rocking chair on the garden patio, “Do you see the gentleman over there?  That’s my grandfather, Don Miguel.  Go ask  him the story.  He has a way of telling it you will really like.  

Martin wandered slowly over to Don Miguel.  He was still entranced by the smell of all the pine trees.  He approached Don Miguel and in his chirpiest, most happiest Christmas voice said: Merry Christmas Don Miguel!

Don Miguel smiled at Martin and returned the greeting with a warm and deep voice “Merry Christmas!”.  Don Miguel looked at Doña Rosa over Martin’s shoulder who smiled at the two of them.

“And who might you be?  I can tell by how Doña Rosa is around you that you are one of her favorite gardeners!” Don Miguel replied in a very Santa-like voice.

“My name is Martin D. Swann – the D stands for Dragon!  But you can just call me Martin!”

“Well there, Martin, I noticed Doña Rosa sent you my way – what can I help you with?”

“I asked her why there were so many more poinsettia plants than usual and she said it was a great story and you would tell me!”

“Well yes!  I can tell you that story!  Would you like a candy cane while I tell you?”

Martin’s eyes got large and he quickly sat down next to Don Miguel’s chair .  With a candy cane firmly gripped in his claw, and with his feet sticking out in front of him, Martin got comfy and waited for Don Miguel to tell the story.

“So you see, Martin,”, Don Miguel started.  “The Aztecs had poinsettias as far back as 700 years ago.  The color red had a special symbolic meaning to the Aztecs; they believed it was a sign of purity.  The Aztecs called poinsettias “Cuetlaxochitl” (roughly pronounced kwet-la-SHO-cheetl), and used the sap from the cuetlaxochitl for medicinal purposes such as fevers, and used the bright red petals for cosmetics and as textile dyes.  The cuetlaxochitl bloomed in the winter months and so held a special place to the Aztecs as one of the few flowering plants during winter season.

Now imagine a long line of colorful carts and people traveling together, just like a big parade. The Aztecs called these big lines of carts “caravans” these were filled with groups of merchants and traders who moved from one place to another, carrying all sorts of goods like food, clothes, and shiny things made of gold.  The last Aztec king, Montezuma II (who reigned about 500 years ago), was known to have his caravans bring the cuetlaxochitl plants into his capital city of Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City) for decorative use.

About 450 years ago, the Spanish brought Christianity with them when they came to Mexico.  Aztec traditions of the colorful red plants being used as decorations and in dyes and in cosmetics, was blended with Catholic traditions, including Christmas traditions.

One Christmas Eve, a very small, and very beautiful, but very poor little girl wanted to give a gift to the Baby Jesus in the nativity scene at her church.  Her name was Pepita and her brother’s name was Pedro.  They were both very sad because they had no money to buy a gift for the Baby Jesus.  Some people say an angel appeared before Pepita and Pedro.  Other people say it was their cousin.  Whether their cousin or an angel, Pepita and Pedro were offered comfort for their tears and were assured the Baby Jesus would find any gift, given with love, would be accepted and considered precious.

Pepita dried her eyes and began to pick and gather up weeds growing along the roadside.  She arranged the weeds and placed the pretty arrangement on the altar near the manger of the Baby Jesus.   As Pepita stepped back, her gift of weeds miraculously turned into brilliant red blooms, transforming into the cuetlaxochitl flowers.

Ever since that night, cuetlaxochitl became called “Flores de Noche Buena” or Flowers of the Holy Night or as some say, the Flowers of Christmas Eve.

Martin was transfixed.  His claws sticky with candy cane, he immediately took Don Miguel’s hand and together they walked over to the poinsettias.

“What a beautiful story,” Martin said.  “These are so pretty, would you take my photo with them?”.  Don Miguel agreed and helped Martin stand on the edge of a pot in the middle so Martin would be surrounded by all of the lovely flowers.   As he helped Martin down, Don Miguel pointed to a plant and told Martin, “If you look closely at a poinsettia plant, you can still see remnants of that night:

• The star-shaped leaf pattern represents the Star of Bethlehem
• Red symbolizes Christ’s blood/sacrifice
• White poinsettias represent purity
• Green represents eternal life and hope

Do you see them?”

“I DO SEE THEM!”, Martin exclaimed.  We have to get one of these for Mom!

Don Miguel winked and helped Martin find the most spectacular poinsettia in the entire garden store. Martin carefully placed it in the car next to his live spruce tree.  He was already imagining how they would look together.  The tree with colorful lights and he had decided the poinsettia needed white lights.

Martin couldn’t wait to tell his Mom the story of the Flores de Noche Buena and share this piece of Christmas magic with her.