by Kimberly Keagan
When we picture a Victorian Christmas, many of us imagine a glossy Christmas pudding carried to the table, crowned with holly and glowing with blue brandy flames. It feels wonderfully nostalgic—but the pudding we know today has taken quite a journey to earn its place at the holiday feast.
Its earliest ancestor appeared in the Middle Ages as plum pottage, a savory mixture of meat, root vegetables, dried fruit, ale, and spices. “Plums” meant raisins or currants, not the fresh fruit. This early form wasn’t dessert at all—just a hearty winter meal.
Over time, the recipe shifted. By the seventeenth century, the meat had mostly disappeared, and the mixture thickened enough to be tied in a cloth and boiled into a round shape. Even this version caused a stir—the Puritans tried to ban it for being “too indulgent"!
When we picture a Victorian Christmas, many of us imagine a glossy Christmas pudding carried to the table, crowned with holly and glowing with blue brandy flames. It feels wonderfully nostalgic—but the pudding we know today has taken quite a journey to earn its place at the holiday feast.
Its earliest ancestor appeared in the Middle Ages as plum pottage, a savory mixture of meat, root vegetables, dried fruit, ale, and spices. “Plums” meant raisins or currants, not the fresh fruit. This early form wasn’t dessert at all—just a hearty winter meal.
Over time, the recipe shifted. By the seventeenth century, the meat had mostly disappeared, and the mixture thickened enough to be tied in a cloth and boiled into a round shape. Even this version caused a stir—the Puritans tried to ban it for being “too indulgent"!
Picture downloaded from www.thebritishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
The pudding truly came into its own during the Victorian era. Christmas celebrations blossomed, Charles Dickens immortalized the dish in A Christmas Carol, and ingredients like citrus peel and raisins became easier to find. One of the most charming traditions around the pudding is Stir-Up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent. The name comes from the opening words of that day’s Anglican prayer, but Victorian families took it as a reminder to stir up their pudding batter. Each person took a turn and made a wish as they stirred. The pudding was then wrapped and stored for weeks, deepening in flavor as Christmas approached. Steamed for hours and richly spiced, the Christmas pudding became the crowning jewel of the holiday meal.
The Stir Up
Picture downloaded from www.thebritishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
My Christmas Pudding
Christmas Pudding doused in brandy and lit on fire
Depositphotos.com
But Christmas Day wasn’t the only time it appeared. For many families—especially in Britain—the pudding was served again on Twelfth Night, January 5th, the eve of Epiphany and the final night of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Long before Christmas Day became a marketing phenomenon, Twelfth Night had been one of the most festive celebrations of the season. Families sang, played games, and enjoyed a final holiday meal before returning to ordinary life. A well-aged pudding fit perfectly into this farewell celebration.
Serving the Pudd!
Picture downloaded from www.mumwhatelse.com
Twelfth Night also carried echoes of older customs, like hiding charms in cakes to predict the coming year. Some families transferred these traditions to their pudding, tucking in a coin for prosperity or a ring for marriage. Even as Twelfth Night gatherings faded in the late 1800s, old cookbooks and newspapers still mention serving pudding on Epiphany as a fitting close to the season.
Today, many of us have never tasted a steamed pudding, let alone saved part of it for Twelfth Night. Yet I find something meaningful in the tradition. Epiphany celebrates the moment Christ was revealed to the nations—the Magi following a light they didn’t fully understand, trusting it would lead to something wondrous. Christmas pudding, made early and quietly ripened over time, mirrors that rhythm of anticipation. Much of God’s work in our lives happens in the waiting, and the trusting in His grace.
As we close another Christmas season, may we notice the quiet ways the Lord is at work—and look forward with hope.
Kimberly Keagan is a former corporate financial writer (not very romantic) who now crafts historical romances filled with strong heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, faith, and a touch of humor. Her debut novel, Perfect, released in May 2025. Go to KimberlyKeagan.com and download her free Christmas novelette!
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