"For her name, and, perhaps, for Christmas...." Robins as Christmas emblems in the UK.

The "brightest and newest" of all the charms on Robin's Christmas gift from Strike was "a silver and enamel" robin. In addition to the lyrics of "Good King Wencleslas," one of the things I had to look up, as a US citizen plowing my way through the Christmas season with Strike and Robin, was the significance of robins to Christmas, a concept that was certainly unfamiliar to me.

In the US, robins are considered harbingers of spring; when we feature our backyard avian wildlife on Christmas cards, it's usually our bright red Northern cardinal. Join me for a look at Robin's name, the bird and why it is associated with Christmas across the pond. 

The name "Robin" contributed to some of the initial awkwardness during Strike and Robin's first meeting, which had already started off badly when Strike nearly knocked her down the stairs to her death. 

Throwing out a large arm, he seized fistful of cloth and flesh; a second shriek of pain echoed around the stone walls and then, with a wrench and a tussle, he had succeeded in dragging the girl back onto firm ground... The girl was huddled against the office door, whimpering. Judging by the lopsided way she was hunched, with one hand buried deep under the lapel of her coat, Strike judged that he had saved her by grabbing a substantial portion of her left breast. 

Strike compounds the awkwardness by addressing her as "Sandra" during John Bristow's visit 

"Sorry I kept calling you Sandra; she was the last girl. What's your real name?"

"Robin."

"Robin," he repeated. "That'll be easy to remember."

He had some notion of making a jocular allusion to Batman and his dependable sidekick, but the feeble jest died on his lips as her face turned brilliantly pink. Too late, he realized that the most unfortunate construction could be placed on his innocent words. 

For those who didn't catch the verbal faux pas (it had to be explained to me) the bird is commonly called a "robin redbreast;" and a red breast is what Strike just gave her on the landing. The fact that he feels comfortable giving her a robin redbreast charm shows how far they have come. 

On to robins and Christmas.  First, we should realize that the American and European robins are completely different birds, with the American from the thrush family and the European from the flycatcher. The only reason they are both called "robins" is the common red breast.

There are actually several reasons robins are associated with Christmas in the UK. First, they are more winter birds there, becoming more numerous as migratory populations from Scandinavia migrate in to join the year-round residents on the British Isles. 

Second, the uniforms of postmen in Victorian times were red and were nicknamed "Robin Redbreasts." This was a time when the mailing of Christmas cards became popular, and people eagerly looked forward to the cards and gifts that would be delivered by post, so the bird became associated with the mail carriers, and the build-up to the Christmas season. 

Finally, there are some legends of the robin that connect the bird to symbols of Christianity.  As one story goes, during the first Christmas, as Mary and baby Jesus were sheltering in the stable, the fire that was keeping them warm began to die. A tiny brown bird flew into the stable and began flapping its wings to bring the fire back to life. It flared up, and singed the bird on its breast. Mary, grateful for the birds help, decided the bird would carry the red patch forever, as a reward for its kindness and bravery. Another story claims that a robin plucked a thorn from Jesus's head during the crucifixion, and received the red breast when a spot of blood stained him. 

Whether you live in the land of robins, cardinals or some other bird entirely, I wish the happiest of holiday seasons to all my readers.