Skip to main content

SAVV BLOGMAS 8/12/17 THE LEGEND OF POINSETTIA AT CHRISTMAS!

Helloooooooo and Savvy Blogmas
Today is a lovely tale of the legend of the poinsettia at Christmas!
Yesterday I spent a lovely hour or so wandering around a gorgeous garden centre in Surrey looking at all the Christmas decorations, trees and Christmas plants. The one thing that stood out was the dozens and dozens of bright red poinsettia in pretty pots complete with red ribbon garland for sale.
I sometimes get one in at Christmas but have never really known why we see Poinsettia as a Christmas plant! 
I put my detective hat on and solved the question! At the same time I have found out how to look after them in case you too are the kiss of death to plants in the home!


 The Poinsettia (poyn - set -ee - ah), is a native Mexican plant. It is a species of the romantically named "spurge" family!
Joel Poinsett by Arthur Ide.
Almost two hundred years ago it was introduced to the USA by the then US Minister to Mexico who happened to be called Joel Poinsett! See where this is going?

 The plant however became associated with Christmas at least three hundred years before this, back in Mexico. Remember how the shepherds were poor and couldn't give grand gifts to the new born Jesus? Well, similarly a young girl in Mexico called Maria  or sometimes Pepita, couldn't afford to leave a gift at her local church door to celebrate Christmas.
As she pondered her situation an angel told her to collect some weeds from the roadside and plant them by the church door. She did and from these weeds a beautiful crimson leaved Poinsettia grew. This miracle saw the plant being named Flores de Noche Buena, Flowers of the Holy Night. After this Monks, (Franciscan), in Mexico began using the plant in their Christmas celebrations. If you look at the plant it is not difficult to see how it came to play such an important part of Christmas. The shape of the leaves resemble the Star of Bethlehem and the crimson leaves are seen as the blood of Christ.

 Are Poinsettia poison?
They are not dangerous to have in the home. Back in 1919 it was reported that a young child had died through eating a Poinsettia leaf. This spread panic and created a misconception. A child weighing 50lbs would need to eat 500 leaves to have any reaction. (American Journal of Toxic Medicine).
The Aztecs used the red dye of the leaves as an anti pyretic, (fever reducer), and Ohio State University found that even extremely large doses of this plant would not cause terrible problems. So, rest assured, you are safe to have these in the house with children around.
If your pet ingests the plant, whether it be white or red varieties they may drool a bit or have a slight touch of diahorea but they are very rarely severe symptoms

 Looking after your Poinsettia
Here is a really useful link to help you get the best out of your plant for as long as possible!
Poinsettia Care Advice!

 December 12th is National Poinsettia Day so go grab one and enjoy it's magical history and stunning colours in your home this Christmas!

 You might also like to read Christmas is for giving!

 Have a wonderful day!
Namaste
Janie S xxx
Founder www.savvynsassy.net
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LOOKING AFTER 0VER 50s SUMMER HAIR! sTAY GLOSSY NOT FLOSSY!

Hey! How are you today? More to the point how's your hair?! mine has certainly been suffering form the lovely sunshine we have been having. I turn into Monica Geller in Barbados which to be fair isn't my best look! Today's blog is all about keeping those locks of ours glossy and not flossy . Don't worry you don't to go through any so called "hair rituals" or anything. Its more about choosing the right products for the job and being savvy about looking after your mane!! TOP TIPS! 1 . We know to slather ourselves in UV protection to save our skin but how often do we remember that our hair also needs UV protection? Ever burnt your parting line?  You may have found out it can burn quickly and be rather painful. Now clearly we cant go to Aldi or the cinema, or wherever, with our hair greased up with suntan lotion. Fear not though, there are plenty of products on the market that can help.  Try: Solait Head and Hair Protect SPF30. Its really affordable...
Post a Comment
Read more

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF THE PERIMENOPAUSE.

Common Signs of the Perimenopause! Perimenopause was a word that terrified me. It meant I was getting old, wouldn't have any more children and would fade away into unsexy oblivion! The thing is I didn't want any more children, the two I have are beyond awesome. I don't feel old and my husband still fancies me - so what was the problem? For a start I did not understand what perimenopause meant! Also because I only feel seventeen inside, I couldn't possibly be old enough to be lurching forward to the menopause! I was too embarrassed to admit it and would find excuses to explain hot flushes etc! What a fool! I have heard other  friends make excuses or be terrified by a symptom. I realised I was not alone and so have put together a list of the most common perimenopause symptoms. Check through it and reassure yourself…...or....if you want to view the video chat  click here and enjoy the chat! Signs of the perimenopause 1.Changes in your period They may be...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE SHOCKING RISE IN SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES IN WOMEN OVER 50!

Shocking rise in sexually transmitted diseases in the over 50s! What you don’t know CAN hurt you! Don't be blasé! Over the last couple of decades, the medical profession has aimed their STD awareness campaigns at young people aged 16 to 25. Overall it has been successful, however, in many ways it has backfired. By constantly targeting the young there has been a dramatic rise in STDs diagnosed within the 50 to 90 age group. Should we be surprised? Probably not! Staggeringly, it’s not just the easier to treat STDs that are rising such as chlamydia diagnosis which has increased by 75% in the last ten years. Frighteningly the incidence of those over 50 seeking treatment for HIV has increased by 82% since the beginning of the 21 st century. This phenomenon has been ongoing for several years now and doesn’t look likely to stop unless we address the issue ourselves!    Why the rise? Well, there are many reasons that can be, largely, put   down to medical ...
Post a Comment
Read more