What is Stir It Up Sunday?

by | Nov 20, 2023

What is Stir It Up Sunday?

Stir it up Sunday is traditionally when the family gets together to make their Christmas pudding.  This year it’s on Sunday 20th November. It comes from the Victorians who on the last Sunday before advent would gather together and stir their Christmas pudding.

There are some traditions associated with stir it up:

  • The Christmas pudding should use 13 ingredients to represent Jesus and his disciples.
  • Every member of the family is to stir the mix and make a wish.
  • A silver sixpence used to be added to the mix. Whoever found it in their portion on Christmas Day would have good luck and wealth in the following year. Do be careful, if you’re adding anything to yours…no-one wants a cracked tooth for Christmas!

Here is a great Christmas pudding recipe:

200g currants;

200g raisins;

200g sultanas;

150ml sweet sherry;

175g butter;

175g brown sugar;

4 eggs, beaten;

150g self-raising flour;

100g breadcrumbs;

50g blanched almonds, chopped;

Juice of 1 orange;

Grated rind of ½ orange;

Grated rind of ½ lemon;

½ tsp ground mixed spice;

  1. Soak the currents, raisins and sultanas in the sherry and leave for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight)
  2. Mix butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat in eggs and then fold in flour.
  3. Stir in the soaked fruit, breadcrumbs, almonds, orange juice, orange rind, lemon rind and mixed spice.
  4. Grease a pudding basin and press the mixture into it leaving a gap of 2.5cm at the top.
  5. Cut a circle of greaseproof paper 3cm larger than the top of the pudding basin. Grease with butter and place over the top of the pudding basin, securing with string (or an elastic band).
  6. Cover the top with two layers of foil (this will help keep the string in place).
  7. Place the pudding basin in a pan and fill with boiling water which reaches two-thirds up the basin.
  8. Reduce heat and simmer for 6 hours topping up the water when needed.
  9. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  10. Replace the greaseproof paper and two layers of foil and refrigerate for 2-8 weeks.
  11. To enjoy, steam for 2 hours as before then decorate with holly and serve warm with some brandy custard!

If you’ve never made a Christmas pudding before then Stir it up Sunday is the perfect time to give it a whirl and really get into the Christmas spirit. Why not grab your partner,  kids, grandkids or friends, throw on an apron, pop the prosecco and have some fun. You never know it might become a family tradition!