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December Facts
Birth Flower: Narcissus,
Also Know As: Paperwhite
Botanical Name: Narcissus tazetta
Pronunciation: nar-SIS-us ta-ZEET-ta
Availablity: winter and spring
Decorative Life: 4-6 days
About This Flower:
In Greek mythology, when the beautiful nymph Echo’s love for the exquisitely handsome Greek shepherd boy Narcissus was unrequited, she pined for him until she turned into nothing but a voice. To punish Narcissus, Venus, the goddess of love, cast a spell that caused him to fall in love with the reflection of himself that he saw in a pool of water. In his vain attempts to capture the vision before him, he drowned. All that was left of the Greek youth was a lovely paperwhite floating on the water. In arrangements, these delicate beauties last up to 6 days.
Birth Stone: Turquoise
The word turquoise
means Turkish stone because the trade route to Europe came via Turkey.
Colors in turquoise range from sky-blue (most desirable color) to blue-green
and apple-green.
Egyptian turquoise graced the necks of Pharaohs, and it is thought
that Cleopatra ground this gemstone for eye-paint. Tutankhamen's tomb
was filled with examples of turquoise used in everything from jewelry
and furniture to the great sarcophagus.
During the 16th century, turquoise was used as currency by the Southwest
Indians. They believed the gemstone could bring spoils to the warrior,
animals to the hunter, and happiness and good fortune to all.
The best qualities are found in northeast Iran, however, the
southwest United States is now the world leader in production. Blue
topaz has become a popular alternative in recent years for those
who prefer faceted stones.