Mexico’s Christmas gift to the whole world

The Christmas tree tradition started in the Philippines only during the American colonial rule in the country. But even before that we had a botanical symbol of Christmas – the Flor de la Noche Buena (flower of Christmas Eve), a plant that was introduced here from Mexico through the galleon trade. The Aztecs called them Cuetlaxochitle and used their bracts or modified leaves to make a reddish dye. After the advent of Christianity, it became associated with Christmas.

Even today, people mistake the modified leaves that turn red during the Christmas season for flowers. The term for them is bracts. The flowers are its yellow centers.

They were popularly called pascuas. When the Americans came, they came to be known as poinsettias, after Joel Roberts Poinsett, former American Ambassador to Mexico. How it acquired his name is a story in itself.

President Andrew Jackson appointed Joel Roberts Poinsett as the first American ambassador to Mexico in 1820. He was an amateur botanist and was responsible for introducing the American elm into Mexico. Eight years after his appointment, he was wandering in the countryside in search of a new plant species. To his surprise, he saw a hillside that was dark the day before. Now, it was covered with red "flowers". His guide told him the lore of how the Flor de la Noche Buena acquired its name and its red "flowers".

It was Christmas Eve. He said that everyone was going to the cathedral with gifts for the Holy Infant, everyone but a little girl who was too poor to acquire anything for the newborn Jesus. She went to the cathedral, but decided not to go in as she was empty-handed. But outside, she prayed and to her surprise, she saw a green plant emerging from the earth. In no time, it was four feet high and some of its leaves turned red. The child broke off the part that had the colorful bract and presented it as her gift to the Christ child.

Ambassador Poinsett sent species of the Flor de la Noche Buena to his South Carolina plantation. From there, cuttings from the plants were distributed to other botanists and by 1835 there was a strong interest in the plant. American scientists decided to call the plant poinsettia in honor of the American ambassador that introduced and propagated the plant in the United States. It is Mexico’s Christmas gift to the whole world but it bears the name of an American ambassador.

In the Philippines, all our Christmas traditions came from Spain through Mexico. We got much more than just the poinsettias. Our panluluyan is the Mexican posadas. It depicts Joseph and Mary’s search for lodgings. It is re-enacted nine consecutive evenings at the start of Christmastide on Dec. 16. It is a tradition that dates back to St. Ignatius Loyola, who in the 16th century suggested a special Christmas novena in 1580. Seven years later, the nine-day special novena was introduced to Mexico by Spanish missionaries.

The most popular Philippine symbol of Christmas is our Christmas star lantern. That is our local version of the Mexican luminaria. The Mexican luminaria is a clay pot containing lighted candle that glows at night through holes. It is placed outside homes as a sign that St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary don’t have to seek an inn. They are welcome to stay. In the Philippines, it became our Christmas parol.

Spain is the mother country. Mexico is our elder brother.