There’s a good chance you’ve seen plenty of robins during the past week or so. You may have seen one or more busily searching for food if you’ve been outside or you’ll have seen them adorning Christmas cards and decorations.

Originally the robin was called a redbreast, due to its distinctive coloured breast. It acquired “Robin” as Victorians liked to give names to birds, then called “Robin redbreast”. In modern times it is simply called a robin: the British Ornithologists’ Union official list accepted “robin” (without redbreast) as its common name in 1952. However, all other European common names for the bird mean “red-breast”.

We say a robin’s breast is red, but it can’t have escaped your notice that it is actually orange! The bird was named “redbreast” long before the English language had a word for the colour “orange”.

The robin is the UK's favourite bird and associated with Christmas and there are several reasons why. Firstly, in many years there are more robins around in the winter months. Migrants from Europe join our resident birds when the winters become too cold and food is scarce at home.

Secondly, with its bright red (or orange) breast, the robin is easily identifiable and can be seen throughout the year. Robins seem to be attracted to people; gardeners know that of all birds it’s the Robin that perches nearby whenever soil is turned over, ready to pounce on a tasty worm.

There are legendary reasons why the robin is associated with Christmas – or rather the winter months. In pagan times, holly was adopted as a symbol of the dark days of winter, as its vivid red berries and bright green leaves provide splashes of colour. It is suggested the robin with its red breast also became associated with the winter months, and therefore Christmas.

Another early linking of the robin with winter derives from Celtic tradition. A story tells that the Holly King of Winter (a wren) was driven away on the Winter Solstice and its place was taken by the Oak King of Summer (a robin). On the Summer Solstice, the Holly King gets his revenge and takes the place of the Oak King. This is said to happen every year to represent the changing of the seasons, and as an explanation of why more robins were observed in winter.

A later legend relates that while Mary was giving birth to the baby Jesus, a fire lit for them to stay warm was in danger of going out. A small bird appeared, flapping its wings in front of the fire, causing it to roar back to life. A stray ember scorched the bird’s breast bright red and Mary declared that the red breast was a sign of the bird’s kind heart, which it would pass on to its descendants.

It’s said the robin’s appearance on Christmas cards and other decorations originated in Victorian times, when sending Christmas cards began. Postmen wore bright red uniforms, earning them the nickname of “robin” or “redbreast”.

Artists illustrated Christmas cards with related pictures such as post-boxes or postmen in red and soon started drawing the birds instead. This trend became very popular and robins began to appear on other Christmas-related items.

If you’d like to help robins and other garden birds in the cold winter months, leave out food in bird feeders.