Stir Up Sunday

So, next Sunday is "Stir Up" Sunday and the Christmas Pudding must be made. It always falls on the last Sunday before Advent - this year on 23rd November.

Putting the pudding together will be fun - and I'll probably bring the stuff ("ingredients" for the purists) to church so that everyone can have a stir! It is always interesting to see from how many different places the various items come. This activity should also tie in with our guest for the day from Church Mission Society Ireland who will help us to reflect on our link with Kajiado Diocese in Kenya.

There are many traditions associated with the making of the pudding as you can find on some of the school web pages -

A pudding is always stirred from East to West in honour of the Magi/Wise Men.
It is made with thirteen ingredients to represent Christ and the Disciples.
Everyone must give the pudding a stir and make a wish.
A coin is added to the ingredients and cooked in the pudding - an old silver sixpence/threepenny bit. Other traditional additions to the pudding included a ring, to foretell a marriage, and a thimble for a lucky life.

The origin of calling this particular Sunday "Stir Up" comes from the collect/prayer for the day:

Stir up, O Lord,the wills of your faithful people;
that plenteously bearing the fruit of good works
they may by you be plenteously rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Now, gather together the ingredients and get ready to make the Christmas Pudding. Happy stirring!