There are many legends about poinsettia, such as a girl in Mexico who didn't have a gift to bring to the local Nativity scene. So she bent down and picked a handful of leaves and grass, and it turned into a star-shaped red plant. I favor the French term for poinsettia. "Etoile d’amour" The Star of Love. Everything sounds better when you say it in French. :D

I personally have always liked the story of mistletoe. The druids considered mistletoe a sacred plant, and they used it in their rituals. The mistletoe was not allowed to touch the ground, and it was collected on a white sheet laid on the ground. They cut it down with a special knife. They considered it a magical plant for good reason. This plant grew on Oak trees, the most sacred tree to the Druids, and yet, they Druids knew that it was not part of the Oak. Nowadays we realize that mistletoe is a parasite, and what that means, but to the Druids, this plant just develops out of nowhere and thrives on their sacred tree. It looked like magic, therefore it must be magic.

For all your Christmas Flowers, check out the link. They have lots more interesting stories about Poinsettias.