A pudding to savour

Falling on the fourth Sunday of Lent, Mothering Sunday has been celebrated since the 16th century. Originally, it was a day when people would return to the church they were baptised in, known as their ‘mother’ church. This day was also a break from the fasting of Lent. One of the dishes which would be made and served in the North on this day was figgy pudding. In the South, figgy pudding was more often served on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. This is possibly linked to the parable of the barren fig tree. This year, Mothering Sunday falls on 26 March, with Palm Sunday on 9 April.