Folk legends depict the first Christmas as a magical time when all of nature celebrated wondrous events. Stars fell from the heavens, ordinary weeds became beautiful blossoms, and animals and birds received the gift of speech. Legends claim that all the animals gathered at the manger to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child.
A barnyard bird, the rooster, is credited with waking the animal kingdom to invite them to the celebration in the stable. Awakened by the unexpected midnight crowing of the rooster, birds left their nests to spread the news to all parts of the world. The Nativity night is the only time in history when the rooster crowed at midnight, according to legends. In Spain and Latin America, the traditional Christmas Eve mass held at midnight is named “Misa del Gallo” or the Mass of the Rooster to honor this legend.
From eagles to emus, herons to hummingbirds, and parrots to peacocks, birds of rainbow-colored feathers flocked together to worship at the manger. Nativity art pictures a variety of birds gathered in the stable, differing from culture to culture. The dove, recognized as the universal symbol of peace and love, is the most typically associated with Christ’s birth. According to many legends, the dove made multiple appearances in Christ’s life. It first appeared in a dream to Mary’s parents before her birth to tell them of the important role she would play in religious history. A dove perched on Joseph’s staff as a sign that Mary was to become his wife, so say ancient legends.
At the Nativity, it was the soft, cooing lullaby of the doves that soothed the new baby to sleep. Possibly their song was the first Christmas carol. When the infant Jesus was taken to the temple to receive the ritual blessings, Joseph brought two white doves as an offering to the priests, an interesting connection to the two turtledoves in the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” Later in Christ’s life, doves appeared at his baptism and resurrection, symbols that his life was truly one of love and peace.
Watch birds are special friends of Santa. Beautiful songbirds of many varieties, they report to Santa about the behavior of children in their villages. Often seen perched on his shoulder or close to his ear, they whisper the names of all good children to him. As the name suggests, these birds are charged with being Santa’s “extra eyes” to report our thoughts, words, and actions to Santa. Because we do not know which birds have been chosen to fulfill this role, it is of course in our best interest to be on our best behavior.
Clad totally in red from topknot to tail feathers, the cardinal’s red color represents the love of the season. On his wings, he carries glad tidings of Christmas wishes and blessings of health and happiness for the New Year. Like a bright exclamation point against a background of pure white snow and the evergreen of the trees, the cardinal is a beautiful reminder of the true reason for the season.
Whether the role of the birds in the Nativity is fact or folklore, their stories and traditions add a magical touch to the mystery of Christmas. Finding a bird’s nest tucked among the branches of the Christmas tree is one of the luckiest traditions of Christmas, for it predicts good fortune through the coming year.
Read more stories about the Nativity animals in Menagerie at the Manger.
