Kansas “Botanica” Puts Up Latino-Friendly Holiday Light Display
1 December 2008, 1:30 PM. By Alex Alvarez
Botanica is, appropriately enough, the name of a Kansas botanical garden that is reaching out to the Latino community by setting up a holiday light display that draws on influences from Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and El Salvador. The display is named “La Flor de Nochebuena,” which the source article mistakenly translates as “Flower of the Good Night.” That would be Christmas Eve, loves:
The display is named in honor of a Mexican folktale about a peasant girl who had no gift to give the baby Jesus. According to the tale, she picks weeds, which transform into a poinsettia flower once she places them by the baby’s manger. The flowers spread along the roadside and were considered a miracle.
Aw! The display includes lots and lots of poinsettias, straw ornaments, little coqui ornaments, replicas of instruments unique to each represented country and… a replica of a lechón roasting on a spit.
Display organizers said their goal was not only to have non-Latinos learn about Latin American holiday customs, but to have Latinos learn about one another as well. For example: Did you know that, in El Salvador, families decorate cotton trees instead of pine trees? (Salvadoreans: Is this true?) Or that Peruvians sing Christmas carols before uncovering the baby Jesus figurine in their nativity sets? The more you know…
Botanica adds Hispanic light display to gardens [Kansas.com]
More stories:
STFree STI Testing: For When Your Partner Believes Everything He Or She Reads
“Cisco Fatty” Twitter Got One Genius Employee Fired, Inspired Best Hitler Video Since “Where Brooklyn At?” Mash-Up
Meet Your Editor: Alejandro Paz
Narco Chic: How Narcos’ Fashions Have Changed And How You Can Dress Like One, Too
(4) 
Post Your Comment
Did you know you can now share a link, image or video?
Click to submit your own notas.
Kansas, with a White population of about 90%, had the balls to show that Latino culture is not monolithic. I find that way cool!
@Latin_Princess: Let’s hold our applause and wait to see if this display will be vadalized and “Go back to ur contry” is scrawled across the baby Jesus’ face.
@ Fredo: You raise a valid point. They could retaliate and replace the Jesusito with one of these:
http://guanabee.com/2008/02/baby-abuelita-dolls-for-a-new-1.php
it’s a TRIPLE PUN! Nochebuena is also the Mexican name for the pointsetta flower. AND for delicious Christmas beer. with pictures of flowers on it.