Floral Christmas Traditions From Around the World

In Greece, no Noel is complete without a plentiful harvest of pomegranates; often depicted on Christmas cards and made out of clay, glass or metal for gifting and display, this bauble-like fruit is a national seasonal symbol. 

Traditionally symbolising fertility – pottery pomegranates were often dedicated to Hera, the goddess of motherhood – they now also represent prosperity, perhaps on account of the ‘jewels’ that spill forth once opened. 

Modern Greeks hang a single pomegranate above their front door on Christmas Day, before smashing it on the doorstep just after midnight on New Year’s Day to ensure a new year full of fortune for their family.

Home / Blog / Pomegranates & Poinsettias: Floral Christmas Traditions From Around the World

Pomegranates & Poinsettias: Floral Christmas Traditions From Around the World
Pomegranates & Poinsettias: Floral Christmas Traditions From Around the World

Learn all about our favourite festive floral traditions from around the globe.

Here in the UK, decorating a Christmas tree with colourful baubles and glittering fairy lights heralds the start of our festive season. Foliage, fir cones and berries are woven together into abundant Christmas wreaths for our front doors, and sprigs of holly adorn mantlepieces up and down the country. 

But the British aren’t the only ones inspired by the natural world when decking their halls for December. Let’s take a snowy stroll through the Christmas flowers and plants that hold a special place in the heart of other nations’ traditions. Because from pomegranates to poinsettias, there’s more to celebrate than our beloved bejewelled conifers.
Pomegranate

In Greece, no Noel is complete without a plentiful harvest of pomegranates; often depicted on Christmas cards and made out of clay, glass or metal for gifting and display, this bauble-like fruit is a national seasonal symbol. 

Traditionally symbolising fertility – pottery pomegranates were often dedicated to Hera, the goddess of motherhood – they now also represent prosperity, perhaps on account of the ‘jewels’ that spill forth once opened. 

Modern Greeks hang a single pomegranate above their front door on Christmas Day, before smashing it on the doorstep just after midnight on New Year’s Day to ensure a new year full of fortune for their family.
Poinsettia

Poinsettias may have become a festive staple here in the UK, with some eight million plants sold every year, but these red-leaved beauties actually hail from Mexico, where they play a role in Christmas folklore.

Legend has it that way back in the 16th century, a poor young girl couldn’t afford a gift to take to the baby Jesus at a Christmas service. She was encouraged by an angel to pluck a sprig of weeds from the roadside and place her humble offering at the altar. Upon doing so, it burst into a magnificent poinsettia, with the plants henceforth known as ‘Flores de Noche Buena or ‘Flowers of the Holy Night’. 

Today, poinsettias are named after the first US ambassador to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who brought them back to his country in the early 1800s. They have retained their religious connotations; the red colour is said to symbolise the blood of Christ, and the star shape, the Star of Bethlehem that guided the wise men to Mary, Joseph and the newborn in the Bible story. 
Hydrangea

Hydrangeas, in December? Don’t forget that in the southern hemisphere, it’s summer. In South Africa, these showy blooms are flowering in their pretty pastel tones of pink, blue and white. Given how showstopping they make any floral display, it’s little wonder that these ‘Christmas roses’ are a favoured festive gift over 5,000 miles away.

New this Christmas, our opulent Winter Hydrangea bouquet features pink hydrangeas, red hypericum berries and shimmering copper eucalyptus. Prefer understated neutrals? Our Champagne Fizz is a winter wonderland of white hydrangeas, cream roses and frosted silver asparagus fern