Christmas more widespread throughout Britain. By the 1870s, people in the United States had adopted the custom of putting up a Christmas tree. Christmas trees may be decorated with lights and ornaments. Since the 16th century, the poinsettia, a native plant from Mexico, has been associated with Christmas carrying the Christian symbolism of the Star of Bethlehem; in that country it is known in Spanish as the "Flower of the Holy Night". Other popular holiday plants include holly, mistletoe, red amaryllis, and Christmas cactus. Along with a Christmas tree, the interior of a home may be decorated with these plants, along
Christmas in Mexico They were originally developed as a didactic tool to teach the Christmas story. Flores, Richard R. Los Pastores: History and Performance in the Mexican Shepherds' Play of South Texas. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1995. The Story Los Pastores is considered to be a nativity play that has been performed on Christmas Eve since the first recorded performance in 1721. In the play, the shepherds meet Michael the Archangel for the first time and begin their journey to meet Jesus. Along the way they encounter a hermit which is the comedic character in this play. He often carried around crosses made of