Robin

The robin is traditionally associated with the Christmas season. For this reason, some people believe that this bird is only with us in the winter. In reality, the robin is a resident bird in the British Isles, but unlike most British birds, it also sings throughout the winter. Its high-pitched, wistful notes can brighten many a dull winter's day.

Folklore gives the following explanation for the robin's red breast. When Jesus was dying on the cross, the robin, then all-brown in colour, flew to his side and sang into his ear to comfort him. The robin's breast became stained with Jesus' blood. Thereafter, all robins were born with the mark of Christ's blood.

The photograph shows a stuffed robin from the natural history collection. Like many of the birds and mammals in the Museum collection, this bird was found dead and brought into the Museum by a member of the public. The skill of the taxidermist is to make the bird look as though it is alive. Did the photograph fool you?

Christmas card

Many of the elements that make up a traditional Christmas today were introduced during the Victorian period. The Christmas card was invented in the 1840s, following the introduction of the postage stamp and postage system in 1840. Robins were soon featured on Christmas cards and have remained a popular subject ever since.

This particular card was made in 1956. It has a woven silk picture of a robin and was made by J and J Cash of Coventry. This company began as ribbon weavers in the 40s. Cash's later branched out into weaving badges, nametapes, clothing labels, bookmarks and pictures.

This card is part of our silk ribbon weaving collection.