Christmas stories

TWO CHRISTMAS STORIES

 

THE MIRACLE OF THE POINSETTIA. The poinsettia or "Flower of the Holy Night" brings bright red flowers at Christmas. The legend is about a poor young girl who wanted to take a gift to baby Jesus at midnight mass on Christmas Eve. She had nothing. Angels appeared to her on the way to church and told her to pick a bunch of weeds. As she walked into church everyone laughed at her but suddenly the weeds became beautiful red flowers and everyone was amazed.

 

FATHER CHRISTMAS. Nicholas was the son of wealthy parents who died while he was still young. Nicholas decided to dedicate his life to God. He eventually became a bishop and was very kind and generous. Where he lived there was a family who were poor. The father could not provide a dowry for his three daughters and they couldn’t marry. One day the daughters found bags of gold into their stockings, which were hanging near the chimney to get dry. This meant that the girls could marry respectably and their father didn’t have to worry any more.

When Dutch settlers arrived in New York (New Amsterdam) they brought the traditions of St. Nicholas with them. The Dutch name for him was Sinter Klaas.