In fact Stir up Sunday is next weekend, November 24th. This is the day, five Sundays before Christmas, when tradition requires that you make your plum pudding. It is deemed a very auspicious day to make the pudding as the opening words of the collect for that particular Sunday in the Common Book of Prayer, 1549, are these;

“Stir up, we beseech thee O Lord; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruits of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded”

Eating a pudding made on Stir up Sunday is said to imbue the eater with oodles of good luck and lots of plenteous rewarding going on in the coming year. Also a Christmas pudding takes at least five weeks to mature in time for the big day, so making it any later would be daft! To get us all in the mood for the coming festivities I thought I would make a little pattern for Christmas Pudding People. Cute, huh?!

Christmas Pudding Paul and Christmas Pudding Penny love their job so much. They work for Santa at the North Pole and are in charge of making the yummiest Christmas puddings. As a big part of their job is having to taste everything they make  they have both grown quite big tummies and just like owners are said to get to look like their pets, workers at Santa’s grotto get to look like their creations! They don’t mind though, in a land where everybody is surrounded by candy canes and sugar plums they’re not the only ones to have put on a bit of weight over the years. And having a tubby tummy never seems to do Santa any harm.  Anyway they’re not too rotund that they can’t get up to some acrobatics either. Here they are, pulling some shapes, with their little Christmas friends, the snowman and the fir tree. (That’s one of their finest handmade puddings in the middle).

So now if you don’t want the hassle of all the stirring and broiling, all the mess and sticky wooden spoons, if, like me, you would rather be crocheting than cooking, you can still get into the spirit of Stir up Sunday and crochet your puddings instead. I’m sure these little guys will be just as lucky for you as the real thing!

Health and Safety note: Do not douse with brandy and set on fire!