Revival of a Very Traditional Tradition

Christmas pudding, also known as plum pudding (because of the abundance of prunes), originated in England. It is traditionally made at least five weeks before Christmas in order to let the pudding “age”.  That day was often deemed "Stir-up Sunday," and each family member or child in the household gave the pudding a stir and made a wish.

Many households stirred silver coins (for wealth), a button (for the bachelor), a silver thimble (for thrift), a ring (for marriage), or other tokens into the mixture. When served, whoever got the lucky serving, could expect the attributes of the charm for the coming year. When silver coins were not as readily available, the practice ended because people feared putting alloy coins in their pudding.

This Christmas, to celebrate their long established passion for preserving the pudding, Newcastle’s Pudding Lady is reviving this “charming” tradition.  Every family sized pudding sold this Christmas will include an offer to receive a genuine pudding token which can be kept and reused, year after year.  Consumers can choose from a coin token, a ring token, a thimble token or a button token, any or all of which can be added to the family’s Christmas pudding.

While some families still prefer home cooked puddings, it is comforting to know that companies such as Newcastle’s Pudding Lady still take the time to hand make their puddings with the skill and dedication that Grandma invested.