The UK's Royal Mail has been called out for a royal fail.

According to the postal service, we Kiwis all share the tradition of putting our national icon on top of our Christmas trees in place of a star or angel.

Except that, before tweeting a postcard showing a golden kiwi atop a tree, it seems no one at the Royal Mail bothered to ask a New Zealander to check whether this yuletide practice was actually correct.

The tweet was predictably met with savage ridicule by Kiwis.

"The worst bit is hearing them scream when the pine branch goes up them, but what are you going to do, it's not a proper NZ Christmas without it," user @dovil replied.

Behind the door on today's advent calendar… 🇳🇿 🎄 Find out more: https://t.co/NpPdwm9Thh pic.twitter.com/ysdHiOIDlE

— Royal Mail (@RoyalMail) December 20, 2018

Another jested: "Ahhh no, you're thinking of the taxidermy kiwi we traditionally give to our first born sons."

The information was sourced from the website  everythingaboutchristmas.com – which included another curious fact about Christmas in Aotearoa.

"Falling in the summer holidays, Christmas is likely to be spent outside in the sunshine. It's the same for Santa. He's often seen dressed in sandals and shorts, or surfing, jet-skiing or delivering presents by traditional Maori canoe."

At least the website was correct in noting the pohutukawa as our national Christmas tree.

Behind the door on today's advent calendar… 🇳🇿 🎄 Find out more: https://t.co/NpPdwm9Thh pic.twitter.com/ysdHiOIDlE

— Royal Mail (@RoyalMail) December 20, 2018

It wasn't the first foreign misconception involving the kiwi – and certainly not the most offensive.

UK comedian John Oliver, who has made a sport of mocking New Zealand, has called kiwi "the planet's most worthless bird" akin to "a dumb, fat mouse who got its face stuck on a straw".

People who are nonetheless keen to involve our cherished kiwi in their festive plans can gift a donation to the charity helping save it, Kiwis for Kiwi.