Poinsettia Day Dec. 12, 2024

Poinsettia Day

Here"s the red poinsettia, one of the plants synonymous with the holiday season across North America. With its striking star-shaped leaves, the poinsettia has become a symbol of Christmas cheer, brightening homes and public spaces during winter. National Poinsettia Day in the United States celebrates the legacy of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico, who introduced these vibrant plants to America in the 1820s. He discovered them while exploring the Taxco region in Guerrero and, so taken by their beauty, sent clippings back to his home in Charleston, South Carolina.

© David Hosking/NPL/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Holiday hues
Dec. 12, 2023Poinsettia Day
Dec. 12, 2025Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Vancouver, British Columbia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Three petals and three leaves
Rainbow around the sun
Turtle-y nice day for a swim
One giant leap for mankind
Nov. 11, 2023Young Peak, British Columbia
A modern recreation
Sep. 28, 2023World Maritime Day
Feb. 21, 2025Champaka Sarasi, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
Colours of Colorado
Jun. 7, 2025International Trails Day
Pretty in pink
Sep. 20, 2024Ocracoke Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, USA
What are these beautiful sandy waves?
A pair of high achievers
A grove glows green
Feb. 23, 2025Mount Fuji Day
Happy Canada Day!
Feb. 8, 2024Mount Hood, Oregon
Nov. 20, 2023World Childrens Day
Aug. 30, 2025International Whale Shark Day
Celebrating the Scottish bard
Nov. 7, 2023Kirkilai lakes, Biržai Regional Park, Lithuania
Oct. 7, 2024World Architecture Day
The ‘potato chip bird’
The Coast of Death
Oct. 21, 2025Happy Diwali!
The Riviera of India
Like a waterfall, free and wild
Sep. 29, 2023Mid-Autumn Festival
Scenic Mount Michener