The British Tradition of Starting Your Christmas Cake Early

How early should we start our Christmas preparations? In this story, we look at the British tradition of getting things ready for the festive winter season – especially making the Christmas pudding. What does all this hard work and preparation tell us about what the British value? Cross-cultural advocate and author, Yang-May Ooi, finds out. 

Stirring Things Up for the Festive Season

It is around this time of year that we start making preparations for Christmas feasting – whether it’s organising the work Xmas lunch or booking that supermarket order for turkey and all manner of festive food. 

There is one festive food that needs to be begun even earlier than December – and it may be too late if you haven’t already done it! 

Making the Christmas cake. 

This is because the recipe requires the cooked cake to be drowned in rum or brandy and left to mature for as long as possible. And also partly because of the tradition known as Stir Up Sunday. 

This is the Sunday before Advent, which this year was 23 November. Stir Up Sunday is when everyone in the family gets together to stir up the ingredients for the Christmas cake or pudding. The ingredients include dried fruit, candied peel, suet, mixed spices, sugar – and the all important alcohol. Traditionally, there should be 13 ingredients representing Jesus and his 12 disciples and there is a special way to stir the bowl from east to west representing the journey of the Wise Men to the manger. Sometimes, coins are added – mixing in a more pagan tradition of bringing luck to the household. Everyone gets a turn in preparing parts of the recipe and in the all-important stirring up. 

However, the name of the day comes not from the action of stirring but rather the opening lines of the Collect (a short prayer) of that Sunday: “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people”. 

I love how this prayer became elided with the physical act of preparing the Christmas cake or pudding – a little charming manifestation of the Christian concept of  “word made real” – through the double meaning of the phrase “stir up”. 

Waiting makes the tastebuds fonder

I also love the tradition itself that brings family and/ or friends together to prepare a delicious offering that will only be eaten a month later on Christmas Day. There’s something comforting to be together – especially on a cold winter’s day – working towards a common outcome, especially when that outcome involves the fragrant smells of spices and dried fruit, the energy of stirring the wooden spoon in stiff batter, and of course the delicious vapour of brandy or rum in a warm kitchen.

There is also something special about making all this so long in advance and storing the cake away, waiting for the flavours to mature just so – and to only bring it out on 25 December. The wait makes it even more special when the cake or pudding is brought out with great fanfare. 

Stirrer-Uppers

I asked my friends and neighbours if they followed this tradition and got these wonderful replies…

Sarah*, an old school friend wrote: “I do it with our girls at the end of November/ beginning of December. Mum did it with us and I am sure her mum did it with her as it is my grandmother’s recipe we still use although I have to admit to adding other ingredients too.”

Mary*, another school friend: “”My Dad used to get twitchy about Christmas pudding and Christmas cake if either wasn’t started by end Nov” 

A number of other friends and neighbours also told me they stirred up their Christmas cakes with their mums and some still do it now. I sensed wonderful nostalgia and love in their memories. 

Patti said: “I always used to have a day in Melbourne where my friend and I made masses of Xmas biscuits and since moving here I have a cooking day in late December with a friend to make edible treats for Xmas gifts.  Not sure if these days have been a Sunday though 😁” 

My partner Sam* always makes hers in late November. When her children were young, they would all do it together but without the special rituals. Now they are grown up, she still loves making a cake or a pudding and everyone tucks into it when they are back for the holidays. 

What Christmas cake preparations tell us about the British

I have to confess I’m not a great fan of the taste of Christmas cake or pudding – sacrilege, I know! But I can still appreciate what this British tradition signifies. It is a form of coming together that underscores a sense of belonging, doing this delicious activity together and over generations in a family.  With the added piquancy of waiting for the pudding to mature for a whole month. 

The lead-in time of a month to Christmas day also tells us what the British love about our Christmas holiday. It is a time of festivity and light in our long dark winter. Putting up Xmas decorations and fairy lights brings a bit of sparkle into the cold days. Wrapping presents prompts us to think of others in our life. Belting out carols together adds to the joi de vivre. Feasting on mince pies gives us much needed sweet calories to fend off the cold.  The big preparations for the Christmas Day meal – turkey with all the trimmings – also tells us that we British love good hearty food, and lots of it! And certainly some British folk also love their alcoholic indulgences like the brandy or rum soaked into the Christmas pudding…

And making it all last a month or more lifts our spirits for as long as possible! 

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*names changed for privacy

Sources: 

What is Stir Up Sunday? – South West Heritage Trust – https://bit.ly/3YoAVT0 

Stir Up Sunday – Historic UK – https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Stir-Up-Sunday/ 

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Photo:

Christmas pudding – https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-christmas-pudding

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