The Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus are virtually identical. The only difference between them is that the Thanksgiving cactus blooms slightly earlier than the Christmas cactus, and that the Thanksgiving cactus has sharper points on its leaves, compared to the more rounded points on the Christmas cactus. These Holiday cacti have flat, segmented, green leaves. They also bloom periodically with beautiful long flowers arising from the ends of their leaves. Many different hybrids are available with differently colored flowers of reds, pinks, whites, salmons, and yellows. Although many holiday cacti will continue to bloom on their own without any special treatment, cool night temperatures, combined with 12 hours of darkness/day, and less water for about a month prior to blooming time may increase the chances of flowering.