Monday, November 24, 2008

Poinsettias are very sensitive to light, in fact, to get them to bloom year after year, they have to be kept in the dark from 5 pm to 8 am from October to Thanksgiving. I have never kept a poinsettia alive for a year and I usually buy one each year because I can't resist their beautiful colors. They even have orange ones for Thanksgiving now! Did you know that 80% of poinsettias are bought by people over 40? That's me! I do think they are quite beautiful and have always wanted to paint them. As I was doing a bit of research I found that they are not poisonous after all and they were once used as fever medicine.

There are several myths or legends about the poinsettia, one involves a little Mexican child who had no money to buy a gift to take to the church. The child was told that a gift given in love would be acceptable in God's eyes. On the way the sweet child gathered branches and leaves to take to the nativity. The sweet child laid them at the foot of the altar and the leaves burst into a beautiful red, the congregation thought they had witnessed a miracle.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, I hope we all we remember and be thankful for all of our blessings and miracles that God has given to us.