We are talking about the
traditional Plum
Pudding
(though there are no plums in any version I am familiar with), the kind
you stick a sprig of holly in the top, pour brandy over, and
light. But why is this here, under Advent?
Because if you want it
for Christmas, you
need to make
it about a month ahead, so it can age properly. Which means at
the beginning of Advent. We always have this in my family, and
for some years my sisters and I have taken turns making it and shipping
it around, which doesn't hurt it a bit. In 2003 my sister Mary
made it, and she said she had received an English pudding mold, and
enclosed with it, besides recipes, was this:
The Sunday nearest November 30th,
St Andrew's
Day, is affectionately known as 'Stir-up Sunday' because the Anglican
prayer book reading for that day begins, 'Stir up we beseech Thee, O
Lord, the will of thy faithful people.' Traditionally this
is the day for making the pudding. Everyone in the house is
supposed to stir the mixture clockwise for good luck.
I can confirm from
experience that it
indeed takes
some serious stirring, and having everybody in the household to help
would definitely be a plus. But this didn't quite sound like our
present prayer book to me, and in trying to verify this we did
not find it in the one we use now; but, indeed, in the 1927 Book
of Common Prayer, the Collect (not a reading) for 'The Sunday next
before Advent' is:
Stir up, we beseech thee, O
Lord, the wills of
thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of
good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
So
that is true,
and one has to admit it is apropos for pudding-making day.
I am
including some recipes here so everyone who wants to can get started at
the right time. I will admit that these are not health
foods, and if you haven't made your cholesterol quota for the year, any
of these will do it (even the no-suet one; it has a lot of
butter). But (presumably) you are only going to eat it once a
year so maybe an exception is in order. -- Jan
Traditional
English
Christmas Pudding
