The Christmas Star flower, more commonly called poinsettia, is found in nearly every Norwegian home during Christmas. Its star-shaped petals and deep red colour make it a popular holiday decoration. It also thrives in low-light conditions, making it ideal for Norwegian winters.

The tradition of using this flower at Christmas actually originated in Mexico in the 16th century. The legend says that a little girl, too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday, picked weeds from the roadside and placed them in front of the church altar. To everyone’s amazement, beautiful crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds and became poinsettias. Later, Franciscan monks in Mexico started including the flower in their Christmas celebrations.

Just like the Gulf Stream that travels from Mexico to warm up the waters and land in Norway, the Christmas Star is treasured as it brightens up the homes of Norwegians during the dark Winters.