‘Stir Up Sunday’ took place the Sunday before Advent in old Victorian England. ‘Stir Up Sunday’ refers to the making of the traditional Christmas Pudding and Brandy Butter. Before Advent, the family must prepare the pudding in order to give it time to age properly. The custom originated because, on the Sunday before Advent, English congregations were encouraged to “stir up” and bring “forth the fruit of good works.” Part of the ritual was that each family member must take a turn stirring the pudding while making a wish. Finally, a lucky sixpenny piece was placed into the dough. Whoever finds it in their portion on Christmas Day is destined to be wealthy the following year!
Well, while we at The Stillroom do not make the Christmas Puddings and Brandy Butters, we do import them from the Elizabethan Pantry in Britain. They are the smallest of the fruit cakes and taste terrific with Brandy Butter. They are small enough to put into a Christmas stocking or tuck into a gift basket. Fruitcake has always been one of those holiday treats that people always make bad jokes about, but when you understand the thought behind the tradition, you can see why we love having these sweet and spicy little cakes in our shop every holiday season. Click Here to purchase these and other items from our on-line shop.
I love traditions being kept alive at Christmas. And this seems like such a nice one to me. Plus, Christmas Pudding with Brandy Butter is one of the nicest parts of Christmas day! I can’t wait to eat mine this year.
Thanks for an interesting article.