Christmas flowers have a unique beauty for people who live in cold climates. A bright flower is a symbol of joy in the middle of a cold winter. Old legends tell of rare plants and flowers that bloom in the snow on Christmas Eve, for just one night, in honor of Christ's birth.

In central and Northern Europe, it is customary to break off a branch of a tree at the beginning of Advent, and keep it in water in a warm room. The flowers should burst into bloom at Christmas Time. Another treasured European Christmas flower is the Christmas rose, also called the snow or winter rose. The beautiful pink flower blossoms only in the Northern regions of central Europe.

Poinsettia is the Christmas flower in North America. Native to Mexico, it is call the flower of the Holy Night there. Joel R. Poinset, who was the United States ambassador to Mexico first brought it to America in 1828. The bright petals which look like flowers are actually the upper leaves of the plant, called bracts. Some say that the star-shaped bracts symbolize the star of Bethlehem.