In a small village in Mexico, many people believe that a miracle happened.
On Christmas Eve, in the year 1834, people in the village were bringing gifts to the church altar. Maria, a poor peasant girl, had no gift. She stood outside the church watching others as they entered with their gifts.
A lady passed by with a big bunch of flowers in her arms. A leaf fell and landed at Maria's feet. Maria picked it up and thought, "I will take this leaf and it will be my gift."
Maria entered the church and walked to the altar. As she opened her hand, there was a gasp from the others who had seen Maria pick up the leaf. Instead of a simple leaf, Maria was holding a beautiful flower. It was shaped like a star with bright red leaves.
Word of the miracle spread quickly through the village. The gift of the Poinsettia came to be known as "The Flower of the Holy Night." Since that time, many houses in Mexico display the Poinsettia at Christmas time. They believe that the beautiful plant brings a blessing that will last all year.
Source: worksheetsplus.com/Christmas/XmasPoinsettia.html The Miracle of the Poinsettia
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