Stir-up Sunday 2020

Stir-up Sunday is the last Sunday before Advent and doesn't actually get its name from stirring the pudding.

It gets its name from the Book of Common Prayer and the Collect for this, the last Sunday before Advent.

The Collect - the prayer that 'collects' up the themes of the worship - starts, “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people.”

Since Victorian times, it has become associated with the rather lovely family custom of preparing for Christmas together by making the Christmas pudding, an essential part of most British Christmas dinners.

The Christmas pudding as we know it is said to have been introduced to Britain by Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, however it is thought that a version of the pudding was actually introduced from Germany by George I - sometimes known as the ‘pudding king’ - in 1714.

Traditionalists will know to make their Christmas pudding on Stir-up Sunday but, during this lockdown, the tradition of coming together may well have to take place via Zoom.

The full Collect is:

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.

View a video from the Golden Cap Team, here.