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Tag Archives: trends

The Story of the Poinsettia

10 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by lionspridewi in Holidays, News, Special Events

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botanist, christmas cards, ecke family, flowers, gift, holiday, holy night, joel roberts poinsett, legend, lions pride, mexico, nativity scene, pepita, poinsettia, publicity, statesman, stockings, traditions, trends, weeds

There are a few symbols that are simply synonymous with the holiday season – beautifully decorated trees, stockings hung on mantels, Christmas cards, and poinsettias. But have you ever wondered how these seemingly innate objects have become iconic symbols? This Saturday, December 12, is National Poinsettia Day, so we thought we’d celebrate by learning more about the holiday’s most recognizable plant.

A Mexican legend says that the poinsettia and Christmas first came together through a young girl named Pepita. She was upset during a Christmas Eve Service because she didn’t have a present for Baby Jesus. Her cousin, Pedro, tried to cheer her up by telling her, “I’m sure that even the smallest gift, given by someone who loves him will make Jesus Happy.”

Pepita took Pedro’s words to heart and picked a handful of weeds by the roadside, then arranged them into a small bouquet. She brought the bouquet into the chapel and set them down in front of the nativity scene. The weeds then transformed into bright, beautiful red flowers. Everyone who saw the flowers were convinced that they witnessed a miracle, and the flowers became known as the ‘Flores de Noche Buena,’ or ‘Flowers of the Holy Night’.

The poinsettia is thought to have come to the United States by a man named Joel Roberts Poinsett in the early 1800s. He was a botanist and statesman discovered them while serving as the first US Minister to Mexico. He was fascinated with the plant that bloomed near Christmas and brought them back to his greenhouses in South Carolina. There, he began growing the plants and sending them to friends as well as botanical gardens.

The poinsettia; however, did not become a holiday staple until nearly 100 years later when the Ecke family began promoting them. Paul Ecke, Jr. sent free poinsettia plants to TV studios, which included “The Tonight Show” and Bob Hope’s holiday specials. The trend eventually caught on and today, the poinsettia has become the official Christmas flower.

Although poinsettias are most commonly seen around the holiday season, you may be surprised to learn that they can actually last all year round. Read through these tips for poinsettia care after Christmas.

There you have it – a brief history of the poinsettia. Are these unique, red plants part of your holiday traditions? Let us know in the comments below!

Happy Poinsettia Day from Lions Pride!

National Ugly Sweater Day

19 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by lionspridewi in Holidays, News, Special Events

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canada, chris boyd, competition, creativity, december, holidays, jingle bell, jordan birch, lights, lions pride, national ugly sweater day, parties, popular, presents, snow, themes, trees, trends, vancouver, winter

dachshund dog wearing a red sweater

Photo by Dominika Roseclay on Pexels.com

When you think about the holiday season, what comes to your mind? You might imagine twinkling lights, blankets of snow, lush evergreen trees, stacks of beautifully wrapped presents… or maybe obnoxious, ugly sweaters!

We can’t be the only ones who have noticed this unofficial holiday become part of the season. Friday, December 20, is National Ugly Sweater Day, but before you pull out that hideous sweater from the back of the closet, let’s find out where this obscure celebration got its start.

The original “ugly sweater” first made its appearance in the 1950s but was more fondly known as a “jingle bell sweater.” They were quite different from the sweaters we see nowadays; these pieces featured tasteful winter themes such as reindeer, snowflakes and other simple motifs. These sweaters were never intended to be ugly; rather they were creative and joyful. They remained modestly popular for the next three decades.

In the 1980s, Americans started seeing bold sweaters with outrageous patterns on TV. You may remember seeing examples of these sweaters on “The Cosby Show” and “Christmas Vacation.” This trend slowed down, but never completely disappeared. Many believe the sweaters’ turning point came when Colin Firth donned a tacky Rudolph sweater to a Christmas Party in his role as Mark Darcy in “Bridget Jones’ Diary” in 2001.

Then, one fateful night in Vancouver, Chris Boyd and Jordan Birch created the first Christmas Sweater Party. The idea caught on and spread across Canada, into the United States and eventually, around the world. Celebrities and politicians were being photographed out on the streets in their favorite Christmas sweaters. By 2010, designers started creating collections based on the ugly ones.

Today, it seems like everyone is hosting ugly sweater parties, which has encouraged retailers to sell sweaters of their own. Of course, with the increase in options comes an increase in competition at these parties. To win the title of the ugliest sweater, you need to get creative.

Will you be participating in Ugly Sweater Day tomorrow? If so, let us know where you found your creation in the comments below.

Whether you love or hate ugly Christmas sweaters, there’s no denying that they have made their mark on the holiday season. And it has certainly become another way to celebrate during the most wonderful time of the year.

Happy Holidays from Lions Pride!

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