Do you keep with the tradition of Stir-up Sunday?

‘Now bring us some figgy pudding’ goes the song. Christmas pudding is as much a part of the festive feast as turkey and all the trimmings, writes Sue Wilkinson.

Stir-up Sunday is a centuries-old annual tradition where home cooks spend the last Sunday before Advent “stirring up” their Christmas pudding. That means it’s not on the same date each year and falls somewhere at the end of November before Advent begins.

This year it falls on Sunday, November 20.

Rather than a cooking term,

Stir-up Sunday gets its name from the beginning of the collect for the day in the Book of Common Prayer, which begins with the words “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

But it has become associated with the custom of making Christmas puddings on that day as it served as a timely reminder to make the traditional Christmas food.

Stir-up Sunday started back in Victorian times, and was a tradition where families would come together to get their fruit puddings stirred up, steamed and stored ahead of Christmas.

Each member of the family would take a turn to give all the ingredients a good mix and help tick off the first task of the festive season.