Mas

  The history of the poinsettia
  The poinsettia comes from Mexico where the Aztec people called it cuetlaxochitl.

  Because of its brilliant color, the poinsettia was a symbol of purity to the natives. It was highly prized by Kings Moctezuma and Netzahualcoyotl, but could not be grown in their capital, now Mexico City, because of the high altitude.

  The Aztecs also had practical uses for the plant. They made a reddish purple dye out of the bracts and a medicine for fever from the plant's latex.

  During the 17th century a community of Franciscan priests settled near Taxco, where it is believed the plant originated. When they found this bright red flower blooming naturally on the slopes during the Season of Advent (December), they used it to adorn the Nativity Celebration. This custom soon became a tradition throughout Mexico.

  Joel Poinsett is responsible for bringing the plant to the United States. He was appointed the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico (1825-29) and had some of the plants sent to his home in Greenville, South Carolina. The botanical name, Euphorbia pulcherrima, had been given by a German taxonomist in 1833. The common name, poinsettia, however has remained the accepted name in English-speaking countries.

  In 1902, Albert Ecke immigrated from Germany via Switzerland to Southern California. The Ecke family fascinated by the bright scarlet flowers blooming on the hillsides of Hollywood, began raising fields of poinsettias which they sold as fresh cut flowers for Christmas. Later Albert's son Paul Ecke Sr. established stands along Sunset Blvd. In 1920, Paul Sr. developed the first poinsettia cultivar that could be successfully grown as an indoor potted plant. He hastened to introduce it to the flower grower's all across the country, sharing his vision with anyone, who would listen. His vision? A new living symbol of Christmas ... the poinsettia.

  The present location of the Paul Eche Ranch is in Encinitas where the climate is excellent and water supply is good. Poinsettia cuttings are shipped mostly by air freight to growers all over North America as well as most of the Western Europe, Latin America, and the Orient.
  
  It is estimated that well over 90 percent of all the flowering poinsettias produced in the world get their start at the Paul Ecke Ranch.
 

 Source: http://www.dirtgardener.com...


Latino snacks coming to U.S.
 Hostess, the company that created   Twinkies and Ho Hos, has launched a new division to make pastries aimed at Hispanics.

  The division, Delicias de Hostess, will market the new pastries in San Diego, Dallas and Phoenix before introducing them in other cities, according to Hispanic magazine.

  The pastries will include cupcakes de fresa and panque con nueces.


Cristina Saralegui elected into Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame
  Cristina Saralegui, host of Univision’s top-rated The Cristina Show, has been elected into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, which annually honors those who have  made significant contributions to the electronic arts.
 
  Cristina joins other Hall of Fame honorees such as Johnny Carson, Tom Brokaw, Ted Koppel, Dan Rather, Dick Clark and Jackie Gleason.

  Cristina was honored in late October in New York.

   “It is one of the greatest honors of my life to be inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame,” said Cristina in a prepared statement.  “Throughout my television career, I have tried to entertain my people and sometimes perhaps slip in a little information they can use.  I thank the Reed Television Group for this great recognition.”

  The Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame was established 15 years ago to honor professionals in radio, television, and cable.

  A winner of 11 EMMY® awards, Cristina Saralegui made her television debut in 1989, as host and executive producer of “The Cristina Show" on Univision, the nation's leading Spanish-language television network.  Her talk show immediately attracted millions of viewers . And after 16 years on the air and more than 3,000 shows, “The Cristina Show” is  considered the No.1 Spanish-language talk show produced in the United States.

  The show is also seen throughout Latin America, as well as in most European countries and enjoys an estimated audience of 100 million viewers worldwide.  In the United States, “The Cristina Show” airs Monday nights at 10 p.m. (ET) on the Univision Network.

  Cristina was recently named one of the “25 Most Influential Hispanics” in the country by TIME Magazine.