One of the legends of Christmas flowers is about a Christmas Eve gift to Jesus; the others, after His birth.
Christmas Rose
On that cold night when Christ was born, people came to see Him bringing gifts. The Magi brought myrrh, gold and frankincense.
A poor shepherdess arrived to visit Jesus. She had nothing for Jesus and quietly wept. She searched for flowers, but none were found.
An angel was watching over her and knew about her fruitless search. He brushed aside the snow at her feet. A beautiful cluster of white winter roses with pink tipped petals appeared. The angel softly whispered they were Christmas roses, more valuable than any other gift because they are pure and made of love.
According to legend, prevalent in Nativity scenes, the Magi brought the gifts to the stable. Saint Matthew wrote they arrived at the house to see the young child.
Rosemary
There are two legends.
When Mary washed out Jesus’ clothes, she hung them to dry on a small flowerless bush that had antiseptic properties. Afterwards, it grew small blue flowers.
The other involves rosemary, sugarcane and date palm. The plants argued as to which provided the holy family with the greatest benefit. Palm sheltered them in the daytime heat and gave them fruit. Sugarcane provided sweetness. The rosemary bush was silent, having nothing special to offer the family.
Mary needed to dry the swaddling clothes and asked the palm to bend its head so she could hang them on its fronds. It couldn’t bend low enough for her to reach them. Sugarcane offered its branches but the clothes fell to the ground.
Mary hung the clothes on the rosemary’s branches. She blessed the plant, giving it flowers the color of her robe.
Sage
When Mary, Jesus and Joseph fled to Egypt because Herod threatened to kill the babe, they ran out of water. Joseph went to the nearest village to get some. Mary heard soldiers’ shouts and the sound of hoof beats approaching. There was no place to hide.
Mary saw a rose bush and asked for shelter. It refused, which is why rose bushes have thorns. The clove bush also refused help and resulted in having unpleasant smelling flowers.
The sage plant hid them, blossoming to create safe haven. The soldiers passed by. Since then, the plant was considered sacred and believed to possess curative and protective powers.
Poinsettia
There were two poor children who could afford no gift who visited the nativity scene in their village to see baby Jesus.
On Christmas Eve, they went to the church early. The children plucked some weeds to make a soft bed for Jesus. They were decorating the manger when others arrived who cruelly teased and mocked the two. Suddenly, the weeds burst into beautiful bright star-like red petals that showed a gift of love is more precious to Christ than the most expensive presents.
Dr. Joel Poinsett, first ambassador to Mexico, brought the bright red star-shaped flowering plant to America. The plant, named after him, is also called Flower of the Holy Night and Flame Leaf.
Christmas Thorns
After Christ's death, Pontius Pilate persecuted Joseph of Arimathea, Jesus’ great uncle, who fled to the Celtic Lands with the Holy Grail and a staff cut from a white thorn bush to establish the first Christian Church, Glastonbury Abbey. When he stuck the staff in the earth, it blossomed and flowers appear every Christmas.
Related articles:
Glastonbury, Place of Legends and Psychic Archaeology
Legendary Animals of Christmas
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