Little Robin redbreast

Robins have long been associated with Christmas, and as we go about Yurtcamp there are certainly plenty of robins around to keep us company. One particularly brave little robin was pecking my sandwich crumbs from around my feet the other day and it got me thinking 'why are robins so Christmassy?' After a little bit of research I bring you two possible answers -

The first is a story often repeated at this time of year connecting robins to Christmas, which tells that when the Baby Jesus was lying asleep in his manger, the fire which had been lit to warm him blazed up all of a sudden. A little brown robin noticed that Mary was distracted by the inn-keepers wife and placed himself between the fire and the baby fluffing up all his feathers to protect Jesus. The fire scorched the little robin's breast, but God turned it a beautiful red as a reminder of his kind actions.

The second widely repeated answer I found linking the robin to Christmas is the Victorian postmen, who wore red waistcoats and were often named robin red breasts because of their resemblance. Perhaps this is why the robin has been commonly seen on cards and stamps during the festive season since the mid-19th century.

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