Poinsettia Day Dec. 12, 2024

Here"s the red poinsettia, one of the plants synonymous with the holiday season across North America. With its striking star-shaped leaves, the poinsettia has become a symbol of Christmas cheer, brightening homes and public spaces during winter. National Poinsettia Day in the United States celebrates the legacy of Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US ambassador to Mexico, who introduced these vibrant plants to America in the 1820s. He discovered them while exploring the Taxco region in Guerrero and, so taken by their beauty, sent clippings back to his home in Charleston, South Carolina.

© David Hosking/NPL/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Holiday hues
Dec. 12, 2023Poinsettia Day
Dec. 12, 2025Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Vancouver, British Columbia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr. 4, 2024Red lechwe, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Jul. 4, 2024Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site
Oct. 2, 2023World Architecture Day
Nov. 29, 2024Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
Oct. 7, 2025Fall colours below Mount Sneffels near Ridgway, Colorado, United States
Postcard from Italy
Jul. 16, 2024Dinosaur Provincial Park
Mar. 2, 2025Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, NSW, Australia
Oct. 9, 2025Space Week isnt over yet!
Nov. 26, 2023Fallow deer, Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England
Will we be ready for the ‘big one?’
What are these colourful insects?
Feb. 14, 2026Happy Valentines Day!
A butterfly’s best friend
Dec. 7, 2023Verdon Gorge, France
Frosty Finland
Aug. 14, 2025Cable car station on Piz Nair mountain, Graubünden, Switzerland
Mar. 11, 2024Koala sleeping in a eucalyptus tree, Australia
Aug. 4, 2024Friendship Day
Apr. 23, 2024World Book Day
Jan. 7, 2026Old Rock Day
Festival fever
Home of the ‘world’s worst smelling food?’
Feb. 1, 2026Colourful house in Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil
Feb. 18, 2025The Great Blue Hole, Belize
Jun. 5, 2025World Environment Day
May 6, 2024The Roaches ridge in the Peak District, England
Jul. 17, 2024Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany
Dec. 23, 2025Reindeer, Lapland, Finland
The ancient home of the Minoans