Christmas Companion

Why are robins so closely linked to Christmas? It’s biology and culture, with a twist of history thrown in.

At this time of year, every other Christmas card seems to feature a robin. Occasionally it’s a pair of robins – even though, as most people know, this species is notoriously territorial.

By nature, robins are woodland birds. They evolved to follow wild boars around primeval forests, to feed on the worms and other invertebrates brought up to the surface when the animals dug for food. But, until recently, wild boars had been absent from Britain for many centuries, so robins found a suitable substitute: us. Our gardens – and our national obsession with gardening – provide everything a robin needs: plenty of food, shelter and a place to breed.

As a result, the robin turned from a shy, woodland bird into one that happily lives alongside us, perching on a spade or coming to our back door in search of kitchen scraps. Their large, black, beady eyes – a feature that enabled robins to hunt in the low light of the forest floor – also endeared them to us, as did their habit of fluffing out their feathers to keep warm.

It was hardly surprising when, in 2015, it won the title of Britain’s Favourite Bird. The robin didn’t just win, it took over one-third of the vote. The result was, in some ways, rather odd, given the robin’s justified reputation for fighting its rivals.

As the man behind the poll, David Lindo, sagely noted: “Despite being a seemingly friendly bird, the robin is hugely territorial. I presume that reflects us as an island nation.”

This still doesn’t explain the deep-rooted link between robins and Christmas. That connection goes all the way back to 1840 and the launch of the ‘Penny Post’. To encourage people to use the new service, someone had the clever idea of producing special greeting cards that they could send to their friends and family. At the time, postmen wore red uniforms and were nicknamed ‘Robins’. It didn’t take long for an illustrator to design a card featuring a robin wearing a postman’s uniform and carrying a card in its beak. The rest, as they say, is history.

Yet the link may be even older. One myth about the robin’s red breast suggests that it originated when a robin fanned the flames of a fire in the stable to warm baby Jesus. Whatever its true origin, there can be no doubt that, when it comes to birds on Christmas cards, the robin reigns supreme.

In some ways it’s rather odd, given the robin’s justified reputation for fighting its rivals.