Christmas Roses

Christmas Rose as the name suggests is deeply associated with the faith, love and devotion to Christ, our Savior. This flower is English in its origin and is believed to bloom in the snow-covered mountains of Central Europe at the time, when the winter is at its prime, often during the Christmas season and thus, deserves to be known as the true Christmas blossom. People also call this white colored flower with pink tipped petals by the name of Snow Rose or Winter Rose as it blooms during the Winter season at the time when all the other greenery bows down under a thick layer of snow. Here we are going to narrate an interesting folklore, which advocates the appropriateness of its name as the Christmas Rose, with full conviction.

It is said that at the time, the little baby Jesus took birth and the wise men and shepherds were going to greet the Christ child laden with all kinds of presents, a little poor shepherdess named Madelon saw them on their way. She was tending her sheep in the cold wintry night, when she saw the caravan of richly dressed Three Wise Men with their expensive gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense hurrying across their way to baby Christ and followed by the shepherds who were informed by the angel of the coming of their Savior who were carrying gifts such as fruits, honey and dove that were not so rich but spoke volumes of their love. Moved by the sight, she asked them where they were going and wanted to greet the baby too but to her utter dismay, she had nothing to offer the Lord of the Lords and the King of the Kings!

Despite her efforts, she couldn't find even a single bloom in the snow-covered fields and felt so helpless that she burst into crying. An angel saw her and was kind enough to translate her love for the Newborn King into a Christmas Rose for her, which she found to her gladness, buried deep in the snow, right in front of her and she carried it to the Christ child. Since then, Christmas Rose is remembered as symbolic of deep Christian faith and devotion. One of the customs associated with the legend in central and northern Europe is to break off a branch of the cherry tree and keep it in water in a warm room from the beginning of the Advent till Christmas, at the time, when it is expected to give forth flowers.