Oddly enough, Victorian Christmas cards could be quite creepy, with their murderous frogs and mobs of torch-wielding birds. However, one repeating image is especially strange: the dead bird. To understand why you might send a friend or family member this morbid missive, we must mentally journey back to the 19th century, and no….it wasn’t madness from the arsenic-laced wallpaper or tightly-cinched corsets. Killing a wren or robin was once a good luck ritual performed in late December. In fact, December 26th is known as “Wren Day,” with a traditional hunt of the bird. So, receiving a card with the little prone bird, feet curled in rigor mortis, could be meant to wish nothing more than good cheer for the new year.
Why Are There Dead Birds on Victorian Christmas Cards?
Oddly enough, Victorian Christmas cards could be quite creepy, with their murderous frogs and mobs of torch-wielding birds. However, one repeating image is especially strange: the dead bird. To understand why you might send a friend or family member this morbid missive, we must mentally journey back to the 19th century, and no….it wasn’t madness from the arsenic-laced wallpaper or tightly-cinched corsets. Killing a wren or robin was once a good luck ritual performed in late December. In fact, December 26th is known as “Wren Day,” with a traditional hunt of the bird. So, receiving a card with the little prone bird, feet curled in rigor mortis, could be meant to wish nothing more than good cheer for the new year.