After Thanksgiving comes Christmas which is again a time for celebration, decoration, family dinners, gifts, and flowers.
Flowers are an integral part of nearly all festivals and celebrations. Different species of flowers play starring roles on different occasions, and this role is usually dependent on seasonal availability (e.g., you won’t see dahlias in traditional winter bouquets). However, thanks to the magic of online flower stores that ship from anywhere, you can have your favorite flowers delivered fresh from whichever part of the world they’re in season.
When it comes to the top 5 Christmas flowers, Poinsettia beats all. Others among the top favorite Christmas flowers and plants are Christmas cacti, Mistletoe (yes, the sprig for kisses), Christmas rose (also called hellebores), Holly, and Ivy.
The Poinsettia’s cheerful, bright red color makes it a perfect bloom for Christmas. It is often given in the pot as a hostess gift, and is widely used for Christmas decoration in homes and churches across North America.
Mistletoe is a key Christmas decoration. It is used in bouquets, centerpieces, wreaths, and popularly hung from ceiling fixtures and over doorways for the tradition of “kissing under the mistletoe” – a practice that in ancient times was supposed to bring good luck and ward off evil, and evolved overtime to become a tender moment of love shared between people.
Holly, with its prickly leaves and red berries, is also known as Christ Thorn. The prickles represent the crown of thorns Jesus wore during the Crucifixion, and the berries symbolize drops of blood.
Although called a rose in many forms – Christmas rose, winter rose, snow rose – hellebores aren’t actually roses. The name comes from a Christmas legend that the flowers sprang up in the snowy ground from the tears of a young girl who wept because she had no gift to give the newborn Christ.
The Christmas cactus has many species and all are sold under the name of Christmas cactus. These cacti come in a rainbow of colors – red, purple, lavender, peach, orange, cream, and white – and are a favorite choice for hanging baskets.