There are many festivities around the world that have plants as part of the traditions. Can you name some?
How many of you remember walking through your elementary school hallways and learning which holidays were approaching only by the colors on the bulletin boards? The teachers would decorate with orange and black in October, red and green in December, pastel colors in the Spring and sunny colors in celebration of the yearned for summer break. It was the same year after year; some of the many patterns learned in school. Pastels would not decorate November halls or orange and black in the Spring, it just wouldn’t make sense!
There were also objects that didn’t cross over their holiday lines like Holly and Clovers. You probably realized there is a link between the colors used and plants used. Red and green are for Christmas like the Holly bush putting on red berries and Evergreen trees are the only trees with foliage distinguishing them in the Winter. The Poinsettia, as well as other plants, are in full color at the time of the celebration. That’s when they are abundant in nature! The flora is the reason for the colors!
Let’s have some fun and test our knowledge, matching the celebration with the most common plants associated with it!
- Halloween
- Dia de los muertos
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- Valentines
- Hinamatsuri
- St Patrick’s
- Easter
- Bodhi day
- Ilex opaca
- Ficus religiosa
- Tagetes erecta
- Euphorbia pulcherrima
- Zea mays subsp. mays
- Rosa spp. and hybrids
- Abies concolor
- Malus domestica
- Lilium longiflorum
- Prunus serrulata
- Cucurbita maxima
- genus Trifolium
There are so many festivities around the world with special foods, dances, lights! We as humans love to celebrate and mark the passing of time. Our love for plants has always been part of our celebrations.
What are your favorite plants for celebrating?
Happy Holidays! Melody Cole 2023
Spoiler Alert! Hints:
(Clover, Pumpkin, Cherry Blossom, Easter Lily, Apple, White Fir, Long stem roses, Corn, Poinsettia, Marigolds, Bo tree, Holly)