![December 12 is National Poinsettia Day [Image: wikimedia.org]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/12/11/660x290/b_502x220x82/december-12-is-national-poinsettia-day-image-wikimediaorg_1728845.jpg "December 12 is National Poinsettia Day [Image: wikimedia.org]")
Since National poinsettia Day is celebrated on December 12, it would be nice if the debate could be settled once and for all about the proper pronunciation of the name of the blossoming plant that is seen in lots of places during the Christmas holiday. Some people pronounce the word one way, and other people pronounce the word another way.
A lot of people omit the last “i” in this word and say "poinsetta." The dictionary considers “poinsetta” to be an alternative pronunciation to "poinsettia" with the last "i" clearly heard. The word can be pronounced either way, according to horticulturists and even the person who introduced the plant to the United States.
Some people call the plant "pointsettia" by inserting an extra "t" in the word. What do you call the holiday plant?
Another person says the word should be pronounced "poinsettia" with the "i" clearly heard.
The poinsettia
The beautiful plant, with its red and green foliage, is a favorite decoration and popular gift for the Christmas holiday. It was first introduced in 1825 after Joel Roberts Poinsett visited Taxco as the first United States ambassador to Mexico. When Poinsett found the gorgeous flowers growing in the area, he sent some to his greenhouse in South Carolina.
The flowers flourished in the greenhouse. They became so plentiful that Poinsett named them after himself and began distributing them.
To this day, the name “poinsettia” is the name of the well-known plant that was once found only in Mexico. Because of Poinsett, 90 percent of all poinsettias are exported from the United States to places all over the world. In a document, the founder of the plant called it "poinsetta" with the last "i" being omitted.
It’s time to get festive! I absolutely did not know that there were so many cultivars of Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima #Euphobiaceae and this is only a fraction of what was on offer. Which one is your favourite? pic.twitter.com/PguewirGY9
— Dr Dale Dixon (@dale_dixon) December 5, 2017
How to celebrate
Celebrate National Poinsettia Day by buying a poinsettia for yourself and for a friend.
The poinsettia is considered to be a symbol of purity that is so appropriate for the holiday. However, poinsettias come in many other colors. You might be accustomed to seeing only a few different plants, but there are over 100 cultivated varieties produced around the world.
The plant is available during the holiday and can be purchased from lots of places. Therefore, they are not hard to find. They are sold in grocery stores, drug stores, department stores and even in hardware stores. Since they come in different sizes, the prices vary. No matter how the name of the plant is pronounced, expect to see the plant as decoration in people's homes, churches, offices, and other places.
