Robin Red Breast have to be one of the most iconic Christmas animals, second only to the reindeer. Only weighing 14-21g (4 tablespoons of water), the little robin calls the UK home year round, where as the much larger reindeer are native to polar regions. Interestingly, both male and female robins look identical, whilst young robins lack the distinctive red breast.
Have you ever wondered why robins are associated with Christmas?
They have been associated with a present-delivering superstar other than Santa - Postmen! Postmen in Victorian Britain were often referred to as "robins" due to their red breasted uniforms. With the increase in letters during Christmas, robins were often included on cards and continue to be until this day.
Another potential reason for the association of robins to Christmas time, is the Christian association of Robins and Jesus. There are two versions of the story, depicting how Robins got their red chest. The first being that the robin burnt its chest in the firs at Christs birth trying to stop the fire in the stable from going out. The other is that a robin tried to remove the crown of thrones from Jesus's head during the crucifixion and stained their feathers in the process. Either way, the robin has ties to the life of Christ that is celebrated by some around Christmas time.
No matter how you celebrate Christmas, we can all agree that this feisty little bird is pretty cute!
