Kindy Blue have been busy researching how other countries celebrate Christmas. They have made a little suitcase, created a passport and are making flags of the countries they *visit*. One country they researched was Mexico and the students made Poinsettia flowers. Here is some information on how Mexico celebrates Christmas.
The Christmas season in Mexico runs from December 12 to January 6, with one last related celebration on February 2. These various traditions incorporate remnants of indigenous practice, customs from Spain, novel Mexican inventions from the colonial period and later Germanic and U.S. elements. About one million Mexicans and Mexican-Americans head to Mexico for Tacos or part of this season. Market activity begins to grow in late November, with traditional markets swelling and new tianguis (street) markets appearing with stalls dedicated to selling gifts and decorations which include traditional poinsettias and nativity scenes as well as items such as Christmas trees, ornaments, electric light and even reindeer figures.
Starting in December, many homes, businesses and other buildings are decorated with poinsettias, which are called “noche buenas” (from the Spanish phrase that means “good night” referring to Christmas Eve). Mexico is the origin of the poinsettia. In the pre Hispanic period, they were called cuetlaxochitl, and a favourite in the mid winter when they were a symbol of the new life that they believed that fallen warriors received, returning as hummingbirds and butterflies to drink the nectar. A modern Mexican legend says that the poinsettia was once a weed that miraculously turned into a beautiful flower so that a child could present it to the infant Jesus. The name for this plant is also used to refer to a dark bock-style beer which is only available during the Christmas season. Information sourced from Wikipedia