The Legend of the Poinsettia

Long ago in Mexico, a little girl stood outside a church
on Christmas Eve. She watched others taking gifts inside
to place before a statue of Baby Jesus. The longer she
watched, the worse she felt because she had nothing to give.

An angel saw the girl and spoke to her. "Gather the weeds beside
the road and take them to the Holy Child" said the angel.

Drying her tears, the girl obeyed. She gathered a large armful
of the green leafy weeds and carried them inside. But as she
walked up the aisle, the people laughed at her gift.

The embarrassed little girl placed her branches beside the
manger, and suddenly a miracle occurred. The green leaves
turned to brilliant red!

Now every year at Christmastime, the green leaves of the
poinsettia turn to bright red to honor the Son of God born
so long ago. 

The Legend of the Holly

The news of Christ's birth soon spread throughout the land.
King Herod had heard of the glorious event and, feeling
threatened by this new King of Kings, had sent his soldiers
in pursuit of Him. Joseph gathered together his little family
and fled from Bethlehem.

As they were traveling down an old dirt road, Mary heard the
sound of the soldiers behind them. Knowing that they would be
searching for a man and woman with a baby, she decided to hide
her child until the soldiers had passed.

Looking quickly around, Mary felt her heart sink within her.
There was nothing nearby but a bare little holly bush. Every
second, the hooves of the soldier's horses thundered nearer
and nearer. In desperation, she placed her precious child
beneath the bush and prayed.

But then, a wondrous thing happened. The scraggly little plant
burst forth with a crown of glistening, thorny leaves. The
spiky leaved bush formed a roof over the baby, hiding him
completely. When the soldiers rode by, they saw only the couple
who appeared to be childless and continued on their way, leaving
the Christ Child in safety and peace.

It was then that the Babe blessed the holly so that it would
always remain green... a symbol of hope and immortality to all.
And the berries the holly bore would always be blood red. For
of all the plants that grow, the holly alone, for one brief
moment, had held the Christ Child in its heart.

The Legend of the Robin

On the night that Baby Jesus was born, a plain brown bird was
watching from her nest in the loft of the stable.

During the night, a cold breeze came through the drafty stable,
and Mary was afraid the Baby would not stay warm. Joseph built
a small fire, but it was not enough.

The bird was watching from her nest and knew that this Child
was very special. She flew down to the fire and gently flapped
her wings to fan the fire. She was very close to the fire and
became so hot that her feathers turned red. But she stayed by
the fire all night to keep the Baby warm.

The breast of the robin has been red since that night to remind
us of the love and dedication she showed.

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