First off, I want to give a huge thanks to Austen Variations for asking me to be one of their guest posts!
I recently made a big move across the pond, and have spent the last six months adjusting to life as an expat. I realize every day I still have a long way to go! A recent trip to Wimpole Hall’s Christmas Craft Fair introduced me to a sixpence for the Christmas pudding. I have heard of the Christmas pudding, but I was unaware of the history of the pudding or the significance of the sixpence. It may seem at first glance pretty straight forward, but there is a bit more to the tradition than what is presented on the table at the end of Christmas dinner.
One thing you realize early when living in England is the term pudding is generally used for dessert, which often covered in a warm custard. Christmas puddings, however, originally date back to the 14th century when they were a porridge called “frumenty.” Frumenty was composed of beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines, and spices and had the consistency of a soup.
By 1595, breadcrumbs, eggs, and dried fruit became a part of the mixture along with beer and spirits. The recipe continued to change until during the Victorian Era, when the Christmas pudding finally became what it is today.
So, what exactly is a traditional Christmas pudding? A mixture of suet (beef or mutton fat), breadcrumbs, spices, sugar, dried fruit, nuts, rum, barley wine, stout, and eggs are mixed and left overnight in a bowl. Flour is added on the next day, and the mixture is packed into a dish lined with parchment paper before steaming for a whopping eight hours.
Christmas puddings are traditionally made on “stir-up Sunday,” the Sunday before the beginning of Advent (30 November of this year). According to several sources, this is due to the Collect of the day in the Book of Common Prayer that says, “”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.”
Another reason for preparing the Christmas pudding so far in advance could be the improvement with age. I have heard from a good friend that the best Christmas puddings are left to sit for a month before Christmas. If you consult a calendar, Stir-up Sunday gives the Christmas pudding exactly a month.
When serving this dessert, the custom is to top the finished pudding with a sprig of holly, said to represent Jesus’ Crown of Thorns worn during the crucifixion. Holly was also thought at one time to bring good luck and have healing properties, perhaps indicating a wish for luck and health during the new year?
The final preparation before the pudding is served is to top it with Brandy or another flammable alcohol and light it on fire to symbolize Jesus’ power and love.
Just as we have our own traditions of luck and wishes during the holidays, the Christmas pudding has its own. At one time, it was a ritual for every family member to give the pudding a stir and make a wish, but the longstanding tradition seems to be the sixpence mixed into the pudding itself—the finder of the coin receiving luck for the year to come.
Why a sixpence? It is believed a pea or bean was originally used, followed by a silver farthing or a penny, changing over time to a threepenny bit, and then a sixpence. Perhaps the changes are due to the types of coins available as well as the value. Sixpence coins were withdrawn from circulation in 1971, and were no longer legal tender as of 1980, illustrating one coin that will eventually be replaced in the custom due to the difficulty in obtaining one. The modern coin used in place of the sixpence is a five pence.
There are various other “tokens” or “favours” to be found in Christmas puddings, and depending upon the article and the person, each can have several meanings. I found one article that indicated the sixpence represented wealth in the coming year. Another article said a “Bachelor’s Button” and indicated the man would be a bachelor for the next year—same for the “Spinster’s Thimble,” yet another site claimed the thimble represented thrift. Regardless of the meanings, there are various tokens (button, thimble, boot, anchor, wishbone) which can also be included depending upon the family’s traditions, but the sixpence is the most common.
Sources:
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/traditional-christmas-pudding.html
http://www.royalmint.com/discover/celebrations/christmas-traditions-and-coins
http://www.silvercoinstoday.com/uk-royal-mints-silver-sixpence-for-christmas/105390/
http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/pudding.shtml
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Scandinavians serve Rice Pudding with a single whole almond on Christmas Eve. The person who finds the almond gets a small present. My mother maintained the tradition but with an elegant pudding as the basis. When I married, my husband did not like the pudding but loved the tradition so we carefully stirred the almond into slightly softened ice cream. That is still what my children do in their homes. I love that the tradition has been preserved and adapted through four generations of Norwegian Americans.
That’s a lovely tradition, Ruth! My mother baked a plethora of goodies before Christmas–many of which were recipes my grandmother used. I still have the recipe cards with their handwriting on them. My challenge lately has been to adapt the recipes without wheat flour. I’ve managed one or two so far!
Delighted you are living in the UK, being a Brit myself I’m biased of course and being from Derbyshire even more so. Rain and Retribution was the first Fan Fiction novel I ever read and it’s still one my my all time favourites along with A Matter of Chance. What a lovely article this is and whilst I don’t make my own Christmas pudding, my mum does and her Dad followed this tradition with his 8 children all having to stir the pudding before the end of November. Hoping to get a new novel from you soon….Happy Christmas 🙂
Wow! I’m flattered to have R&R be your induction into JAFF! Thanks so much for letting me know!
I love the tradition where everyone in the family stirs the pudding. It makes the tradition much more about the entire family. I was unaware of that tradition when I began thinking of this article. I attended a craft fair at a National Trust property and someone was selling little mesh bags with a sixpence inside and decorated with a sprig of faux holly. I was intrigued and this post was the result. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Merry Christmas to you too! 🙂
This was interesting. I don’t know about eating something that’s been siting around for a month. I enjoyed the details you shared. I’ve enjoyed reading both your books and hope a new one is released soon.
Thanks, Deborah! I’m working on the next. I hope to have it released this spring.
Deborah, it is probably comparable to the fruitcake we have in the States in some aspects. A melange of candied fruit, pecans, with a bit of batter to bind together. Heavens knows some fruitcakes sit forever in the cabinets! Now I am craving a Collins St. Apricot fruitcake!
One of these days I need to try Christmas Pudding. Based on what goes in I’m not sure if I’d like it or hate it. The tradition of stirring, setting on fire and finding the items inside sound fun.
Thanks for sharing!
The little traditions that go along with the pudding are the neatest part in my opinion! Thanks for stopping by and reading!
How cool, Leslie! There were all kinds of interesting tidbits in your post that I never knew about Christmas puddings — thank you so much for sharing and Happy Holidays!! 🙂
Hi Marilyn! I’m so glad I had a bit of something new for you.
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
This was lovely. Thank you so very much for sharing.
Thanks so much for dropping by to read and comment!
I enjoy learning the history and traditions that have been passed down. It’s enjoyable reading them in the various JAFF novels too! Looking forward to your next book too! As you know, I loved ‘A Matter of Chance’.
Enjoy your time in England and if you get the chance, travel to the Highlands of Scotland. They are breathtaking!
We have lots of places on the list, and Scotland is one of them. I only hope we’ll get everywhere in the time we’re here. I know there is bound to be something that we will have wished we’d done, but we try to get out and see something every chance we get-even if it’s close by.
Thanks so much, Carole!
My mother’s recipe came from her Scottish ancestors, and we called it carrot pudding because it used grated carrots instead of some of the pricier fruits like plums. It was strange to get suet because the grocer thought it was for bird feed. Her recipe made a lot, so we each had a chore: one chopped nuts, one prepared the dried fruit, one measured the dry ingredients, and one oiled the brown paper and lined coffee cans. It was aged a month, but alcohol was poured over it during that period, usually some kind of dry sherry or port. In those days in Canada, the only liquor stores were government-run. One year, there was a strike, and the only thing close to sherry she could get was Maneschewitz wine! Her carrot pudding was always excellent!
I’m not sure about Maneschewitz since I’ve never had it, but it doesn’t seem like it would be even close! I love that everyone had a chore to make it. It makes it more of a memorable dish when it comes out on Christmas!
Oh! And since the plumbing can’t handle grease when you cook, the British will make balls of birdseed with the fat as a binder. I’m sure it’s done other places, but we’d never heard of it until we moved here.
Thanks, Suzan!
I wonder how many people have swallowed the sixpence by mistake! 🙂 A lovely and informative post, Leslie! And I also like your comment above, about making balls of birdseed! Thanks for sharing with us!
Today, a little girl at the zoo had her face painted with Christmas pudding, and a friend and I were talking about the sixpence. We both wondered the same thing.
Thanks, Kara!
Lovely guest post, Leslie! I knew about the puddings and sixpences because of reading Noel Streatfeild – in her Theater Shoes/Curtain Up, she has the characters eat a Christmas pudding with a sixpence, thimble and all sorts of things in it, and I thought it sounded such fun. Where are you living in the UK?
Hi Diana!
I’ve heard of the Noel Streatfeild books, but I’ve never read them. I should really. As for where we are, we’re in Suffolk. It is kind of funny. We are originally from Louisiana. We came to England and where we are, is not that different from Louisiana in some ways. We’re in the fens (or the broads), which were swamps that are now “reclaimed farmland”. There are still patches of the original fens along with pine forests, honeysuckle, and a few other familiar plants. I do enjoy the area, but I love traveling out of it and seeing the scenic countryside most associate with England.
I always love reading about holiday traditions! Thanks so much for sharing and enjoy you stay in the UK. Jen Red
I’m kind of envious of your good fortune. To live in UK is my dream that I’m hoping will be realised one day. Anyway this is a very informative post, Leslie. Though my family doesn’t embrace all Western Christmas traditions (we’re Asian btw), I’ve been lucky to have learn of the traditions and I planned to incorporate them slowly.