Traditional pursuits in November - part 4
Stir-up Sunday
Stir-up Sunday takes place on the last Sunday of the Christian church year, preceding the first Sunday of Advent. It is an informal name for the last Sunday before Advent when the collect for the day, from the Book of Common Prayer, begins with ‘Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people . . . ‘ In Victorian times it became a reminder to make the Christmas puddings. It remains the traditional day for families to make their Christmas puddings.
Although Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria, is credited with introducing the Christmas pudding to Britain, it was actually George I who brought the pudding to public attention in 1714. In similar vein, it was widely believed that Prince Albert introduced the custom of bringing a tree into the house at Christmas. It was actually Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, who was responsible for this in 1800. Albert simply popularised it.
Convention dictates that the pudding should contain thirteen ingredients, representing Jesus and the disciples. Each member of the family takes a turn to stir the pudding, from east to west, that is, clockwise, in honour of the three wise men who travelled from the east to see the baby Jesus.
It is stirred with a wooden spoon, which represents the manger, and each person makes a wish while stirring. The pudding mixture is quite stiff and before the advent of kitchen aids, would have required much effort to stir.
Once mixed, the pudding is steamed and stored, ready to be reheated on Christmas Day. Some families add a silver sixpence - nowadays a 5p piece – to the mix, which is meant to bring good luck to the person who finds it, so long as they don‘t break a tooth on it.
This year
Stir-up Sunday will be on November 26th.
