Have you ever thought much about poinsettias? I don’t mean just noticing them in a store window or a church sanctuary, but have you ever paused to really look at them and think about them? Poinsettias are beautiful—their deep green leaves and bright red blooms make them the perfect Christmas decoration. For most of us, it seems that Poinsettias have always been associated with Christmas, but that is not the case. Have you ever wondered where poinsettias originally came from or how they became associated with Christmas?
The Legend of the Poinsettia
The ancient Aztecs of Mexico were probably the first to observe the beauty of the poinsettia. They so admired this wonderful plant that they all but worshipped it for its beauty and majesty. Religious leaders often handled the plant to make medicines and dyes, but it was considered so sacred that the common people were not allowed to touch it.
These native Mexicans believed that the bright red color symbolized the blood of men, women, and children who had been sacrificed to appease the gods. When the plants thrived, it meant that the gods were pleased with their sacrifices. During the sacrifice ritual, poinsettia plants were brought to the temple for the pagan ceremony. They told their children that each red petal represented a person who had been sacrificed and that as long as the Aztec people continued to appease their gods, they would flourish.
In the early days of Spanish colonization, the Aztec Empire came to an abrupt and violent end. European conquistadors like Hernando Cortez had little interest in the Aztec people or culture: they were only interested in the riches of the land. While gold and other precious metals were shipped back to Spain, the conquered Aztec’s fell into slavery and poverty. The only good thing that came from this European domination was the missionary work that followed the soldiers. Compassionate Catholic priests ministered to the native people who had been trampled by those looking for wealth. The priests’ Christian work was one of the only bright spots of this period. With Spanish rule and the hard times it brought, the significance of the poinsettia in Mexican history and culture was all but forgotten.
It is amazing to think that the plant that was once used in human sacrifices was destined to become an important Christmas symbol in Mexico. Franciscan friars evangelizing the area of Taxco decided to teach the local people the Christmas story by constructing a nativity scene. After carefully arranging the manger site, they held mass on Christmas Eve. A poor Mexican girl named Pepita walked forward to visit the altar and view the babe in the manger. She cried as she took in the scene because she did not have a gift to offer Jesus on his birthday. As Pepita walked to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness. “I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes,” said Pedro consolingly.
Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, and fashioned them into a small bouquet. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed than ever by the humbleness of her offering. She fought back a tear as she entered the small village chapel.
As she approached the altar, she remembered Pedro’s kind words: “Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes.” She felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed 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, and the tale of the poinsettia spread throughout Latin America.
The beauty and story of the Poinsettia was unknown in the United States until 1824, when Joel Poinsett, America’s first Ambassador to Mexico, discovered the flower that would eventually bear his name, when he attended a Christmas Eve mass at a small Catholic church in Santa Prisca. Being deeply affected by the plant’s presence, after the service, he inquired about its origin. The priest told him the story of Pepita’s gift and gave the ambassador some seeds. He eventually planted the seeds, and presented the flowers as gifts to local churches in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.
By the time of the civil war, the plant, known by its new name, poinsettia, had spread all over the United States and had become a common symbol of the Christmas season. During the last years of his life, Poinsett made a small fortune as a result of introducing the poinsettia flower to America, and eventually the rest of the world.
Today it is hard to imagine Christmas without poinsettias. When we consider the flower’s history, we see the story of God’s redemption. The red leaves used to be a symbol of violent human sacrifices to the false gods of the Aztecs, but now they have become a symbol of Christmas, where we celebrate the birth of God’s son who would one day become a sacrifice for us. The red petals represent the blood that was shed on the cross and the green leaves symbolize the promise of eternal life offered to us through that sacrifice. Every time we see a poinsettia, it should remind us Jesus came to restore peace! It should remind us of Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would be the Prince of Peace.
The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:4-6)
In this passage, Isaiah prophecies that the coming Messiah will not only bring hope, but he will also bring peace. Verses 4-5 recall how God restored peace to Israel in the days following Midian’s defeat. The story is told back in back in Judges 6: Because the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, for seven years the Lord gave them into the hands of the Midianites, who were so oppressive that the Israelites were forced to hide in mountain clefts and caves. The Midianties killed their camels, slaughtered their sheep, and destroyed their donkeys. Every time the Isrealites planted crops, the Midianites raided their fields like a swarm of locusts. (Judges 6:1-6)
When the Israelites finally cried out to God and asked for deliverance, he raised up an unlikely hero to save them. God called a cowardly man named Gideon to deliver his people. When Gideon protested the call, the Lord calmed him by saying, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” Then Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord is Peace. (Judges 6:23-24)
Gideon conquered the whole Midianite army with a lowly arsenal of 300 men and some trumpets and clay jars. When the men blew their trumpets and smashed their jars, the Midianite camp was thrown into such confusion that their men began to turn their swords on each other. It was truly amazing that the powerful Midianite army was defeated by a cowardly general, an undersized army, and some trumpets and torches. Peace was secured for the people of Israel without even a single sword being drawn.
Isaiah is making the same point here. Just as God restored peace in such an unlikely manner in the days of Midian, he would restore peace again through another unlikely form: the birth of a baby boy. Through the birth of this child, God would shatter the yoke that burdened them, break the bar across their shoulders, and remove the rod of their oppressor. The warrior’s boots and blood-stained garments would be destined for burning, fuel for the fire. This child was destined to become the Prince of Peace, which is one of the titles Isaiah gives him in verse 6.
Isaiah was obviously not only talking about the restoration of physical peace to the land, but he was talking about the restoration of spiritual peace to the heart and soul. Just like the Gideon, this baby born in Bethlehem would become an unlikely hero. He would one lead an undersized army of fearful disciples, and he would lead a great revolution in history without even drawing a sword. The only weapons he would hold were the nails in his hands and the spear in his side. His blood-stained garments would keep us from becoming fuel for the fires of hell. Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection has purchased peace for those who dare to put their faith in him.
This prophecy of peace will be completely fulfilled when Jesus comes again at his second advent. When he returns, he will destroy Satan, sin, and evil once and for all, and he will establish his kingdom of ultimate spiritual and physical peace—it will be a place where there is no more conflict, fighting, pain, suffering, or fear. Can you imagine what it will be like to live in a place of perfect peace? All of this is possible because Jesus was born in a cattle stall 2000 years ago!
I don’t know what kind of fears, conflicts, or trials you are facing today, but I do know that the poinsettia’s red petals represent the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross to restore peace to our relationship with God and others here and now. I know that the poinsettia’s green leaves represent eternal life in heaven where we will experience perfect peace. Whenever you look at a poinsettia, I hope that you will remember that Jesus is the Prince of Peace! He was born, was sacrificed, and was resurrected so that we might have peace now and forever!