Poinsettia, a Christmas Symbol
The "Christmas Eve Flower," or poinsettia as we know it, shows up everywhere during Christmas. In Pátzcuaro, in our Hotel Mansión Iturbe, this plant plays an important part in our yearly decoration of the season.
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| Best Christmas Vacations in Mexico in Patzcuaro |
Many don’t know that the poinsettia
is originally from Mexico, a lovely contribution of Mexico to the world, and is
one of the principal ornamental plants of Mexico, where there are more than 30
varieties, among which are white, yellow, pink, as well as the traditional red
colors.
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| Christmas Vacation in Mexico: Pátzcuaro a beautiful colonial town |
The poinsettia is a major “crop”
of Zitácuaro, in eastern Michoacán.
This beautiful flower, also known as the
Eastern Flower and the Star of Christmas. has pre-hispanic origins. Poinsettia
in the náhuatl language is cuetlaxóchitl (which means “the
color of fire) and represents the new life of warriors who died during battles.
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| Mexico Poinsettia tree in Pátzcuaro |
The “fire-colored flower” was used by the
indigenous in their rights as a dye, as well as an herbal medicine with a
variety of benefits.
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| Hotel Mansión Iturbe in Pátzcuaro during the Christmas Season |
Later, during the time of evangelization,
taking advantage of the fact that the time of the cuetlaxochitl flower
coincided with the Christmas season, the evangelists began to use it to
decorate the altars, and in this way the original peoples began to cultivate
this flower to take it to the altars where Jesus was worshipped, building a
syncretism between both cultural traditions.
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| Christmas in Mexico: Hotel Mansion Iturbe in Patzcuaro |
There is a Christmas legend in Mexico:
A very humble little girl, in tears, went to church on Christmas Eve.
While walking; in her prayers she begged to be able to obtain a valuable
gift. Suddenly an angel appeared, asking the little girl to cut some
branches of some insignificant plant on her way to the Church. At the moment of
reaching the altar with her modest cuttings, these branches were touched by the
tears of the little girl, and beautiful red flowers emerged – the poinsettia.
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| Poinsettia flowers in Mexico at Hotel Mnsión Iturbe in Pátzcuaro |
The poinsettia was introduced to the
world in the 19th century, when the first ambassador of the
United States to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, an avid naturalist and admirer
of Alexander von Humboldt, followed the Route of Humboldt with other members of
the American Scientific Society, and collected various plants on the way, after
Mexico’s independence in 1821. Some years later, at an exposition in
Philadelphia, the flower made its debut with its new name, “poinsettia.”
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| Christamas in Mexico in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán |
*Text and pictures property of Hotel Mansión Iturbe.
We invite you to check more post in our blog, you will find information about Pátzcuaro and its surroundings that we hope will be useful for your next trip to our colonial town in Mexico.
Here are some post that we suggest you:
Enjoy Alternative Vacations in Pátzcuaro
Sustainable Gastronomy in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán
Six Artisan Crafts Routes of Pátzcuaro
Plaza Vasco de Quiroga
61600 Pátzcuaro, Mich.
México
Reservations online at Hotel Mansion Iturbe
Tels: +52 (434) 342 0368 / 342 3628
Fax: +52 (434) 342 3627
Toll Free fax number from USA & CANADA: 1 866 678 6102
Sabre: ON 16297
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