Stir Up Sunday

 The fruit and flour for today's puddings

 On the first Sunday of Advent, the traditional opening prayer (or Collect) of the Mass prays: "Stir up Thy might, we beg Thee, and come." We begin our Advent journey to Christ's birthday, and the Church joins in its prayer begging Christ to come, to hurry and do not delay. from Catholic Culture

Stir Up Sunday is a tradition of  preparing a Christmas pudding on the First Sunday in Advent or on some calenders the Sunday before the First Sunday in Advent.

We have celebrated this tradition in our home since ...well forever. We sometimes 'stir up the pudding' on the First Sunday and sometimes it is the First Sunday and dare I admit sometimes we are later than that.
But it really is the tradition of the Stir Up that our children love.

We make puddings where the recipe has come form Stephen's Grandmother and I am not sure where she go it from herself.

Rogan with last years puddings

Our Pudding Recipe~
375 grams of butter
375 grams of brown sugar
180grams of bread broken into crumbs
250grams of plain flour
3/4 tsp bicarb soda
1/4tsp salt (I  never add the salt)
1/4 tsp Parisian essence
1 large carrot grated
6 eggs
1 dessertspoon mixed spice
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp  ginger
500g EACH of currants, raisins and sultanas
250grams chopped dates
extra 125 grams of sultana or fruit/nuts  of your choice
600g cherries
150ml port or sherry, rum etc. We always use port.

1/ Cream butter and sugar
2/ add eggs one at a time
3/ add grated carrot
4/ add bread
5/ mix
6/ Combine spices, flour, bi carb and fruit together in separate bowl
7/ Add to above mix
8/ Line wet pudding cloth with glad wrap (this makes two puddings)
9/ put into a bowl for the shape and tie glad wrap first then pudding cloth.
10/ leave room for expansion as you tie
11/Boil for 5-6 hour with lid on pan.
12/ Hang over sink (or other to dry out)

Information from Catholic Culture  and British Traditions about this day.

One of the things everyone loves is the traditional stir the pudding and the making of  a wish. We have yet to put charms into the puddings as I am unsure of where to buy the charms that will not be a risk in adding to a mixture we will eat.

"A Christmas pudding is traditionally made with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and His Disciples.
A proper Christmas pudding is always stirred from East to West in honour of the three Wise Men who visited the baby Jesus.
Every member of the family must give the pudding a stir and make a secret wish.
A coin was traditionally added to the ingredients and cooked in the pudding. It was supposedly to bring wealth to whoever found it on their plate on Christmas Day. The traditional coin was an old silver sixpence or threepenny bit.
Other traditional additions to the pudding included a ring, to foretell a marriage, and a thimble for a lucky life" Pudding Traditions

 

Our Completed puddings from last year.

I hope you are all enjoying your start to the Advent season.

Blessings to you and your homes,