2026 Christmas Poinsettias Donation
With the season of Christmas approaching, you are invited to donate a Poinsettia plant for a loved one. The plants will be used for the decoration of the church and crib on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Names of loved ones will be printed and posted in the atrium of the church and Mass will be offered on the 25th of December for all those in whose memory and thanksgiving the plants are donated. A €20 donation is requested for each poinsettia. Additional donations are welcome and appreciated.
Please complete the below form to donate Christmas Poinsettias in memory of OR thanksgiving for a loved one by WEDNESDAY 16 DECEMBER 2026. Return the form to Newman University Church or complete this online form.
Poinsettias and Christmastime
The plant’s association with Christmas began in 16th-century Mexico, where legend tells of a girl, commonly called Pepita or Maria, who was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday and was inspired by an Angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias. From the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations. The star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the star of Bethlehem, and the red colour represents the blood sacrifice through the crucifixion of Jesus