Christmas Flowers

Arrangements of flowers near the Altar of our sacred Catholic Church are meant to be expressions of the liturgical season, and often the selection of flowers during each season also come with compelling reasons. The flowers displayed at church can often look just like the flowers you would display at home, adorning your family's table and in the entry way of your homes.

The church offers guidelines for displaying the flowers and one of those suggestions is moderation – yes, even at Christmas. Moderation, simply because the focus of the whole assembly at Mass is the altar of our Lord, the ambo where we hear the Word proclaimed and explained, and the open space of our sanctuary. For Advent, the church suggests simplicity. This is translated to mean “just a little something” like evergreen branches – a plentiful and low-cost item especially for us in Maine! Your homes can reflect this simplicity and be adorned during this time with the simple evergreen. Simplicity, because Advent is a time of waiting for our Lord’s birth on December 25! This simplicity is meant to allow us to hunger for more. The “more” comes in a small way on Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent when we rejoice. It is a week of exclamation, situated in the middle part of Advent and is like the impatient child asking their parents repeatedly, "When will Christmas come"? We exclaim with joy and our priests switch from wearing purple vestments to rose-colored vestments. This is the time for a few flowers, but only this one week.

As the waiting continues, the church moves into the last week of Advent – you know something special is in store for our churches. Garland is usually hung at this point, crèches or mangers appear but without the Baby Jesus. Still, the waiting continues. Then, walking into the church on Christmas Eve, all the colors of Christmas are displayed. Colors are made even more vivid because of the prolonged absence of color. The red leaves of the poinsettia symbolize the blood of Jesus, white roses signify his purity, and greenery harken to the promise of an everlasting spring – all punctuated by beautiful sparkling lights. THIS IS THE MOMENT we have all waited for!

Poinsettias are the most prolific flower and plant associated with Christmas. They come in many colors; in fact, there are over 23 varieties! Did you know that the Poinsettia is not native to the United States? This special plant was discovered by a man named Joel Roberts Poinsett who observed the plant in Southern Mexico in 1825 and then brought it north to the states. The Aztecs had long seen within this plant its beautiful star-shaped red leaves; later on, Christians came to associate these unique leaves with the star of Bethlehem. No wonder it is so popular to use at Christmas! Poinsettias can last for a long time if properly cared for. You will see them adorning our churches on January 1, when we celebrate the great Solemnity of Mary Mother of God. Given that the poinsettia has such a long life, is it any wonder that you can still enjoy their beauty on the 12^th day of Christmas, the Solemnity of the Epiphany. You may have never considered it, but if your parish offers you to take one home, accept it and care for it. My father-in-law perfected his care to such a degree that he kept a plant alive through the summer. If you want to be as tenacious a gardener, try it and bring home a beautiful memory of our Holy Catholic Church to your holy home! This Advent season, I invite you to reflect in your homes the simplicity of Advent and wait to decorate for as long as possible. I know from experience how hard it is to do things a bit differently, especially with little children, but every small intentional step taken to preserve the meaning of Advent and Christmas in your homes makes a bold statement to your children – and even to your neighbors. May you have a beautiful time of waiting for Our Savior to be born into your homes and your hearts this Advent and Christmas.

Heather Brown
Parishioner