I love robins. Their little red breasts are always so cheerful and pretty. They have always heralded another turning of the wheel and the return of the sun and spring. Seeing my first robin is just as wonderful as seeing snowdrops! Both are cause for celebration in this household. Well, today I learned of a couple of nice legend thats tells how he got his red breast.
The legend reads that the robin was originally a plain, dull brown bird. Mary requested that it fann the dying embers of the fire in the stable to warm the infant Jesus. The robin got too close to the flames and singed its breast feathers but carried on fanning the embers with its wings until the fire burned strongly again, and as a mark of its diligence, all robins have since had red breasts.
Another pretty legend read that when Jesus was dying on the cross, the Robin, then a simple brown, flew to his side and sang into his ear in order to comfort him in his pain. The blood from his wounds stained the Robin's breast, and thereafter all Robins were born with the mark of Christ's blood upon them.
Here are some fun robin facts
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The American male robin has a brighter, richer red on it's breast than the females making it easy to tell them apart.
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The European robin is the national bird of Britain
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Strongly associated with Christmas
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The American robin and the European robin are two different birds and not to be confused.
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An American robin can produce three broods a year.
More about the European Robin & listen to one here.
More about the American Robin and here & listen to one here.
A Christmas robin coloring page.
Robin Redbreast's Christmas Song Retold is a cute Scottish folk tale.
Wee Robin's Christmas Song is the original version.
Learn more about the robin in myth and folklore here.
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Jan. 29, 2008 - hello
Best regards.