CAPTION: People gathered round tables in All Saints church hall to mix-up Christmas puddings (Photo: Michelle Farrelly)
Prayer and Pudding on Stir-Up Sunday
A Devon church made the most of Stir-Up Sunday to organise a community Christmas Pudding-making event.
Stir-Up Sunday falls on the last Sunday before Advent and is traditionally the day when people make their Christmas puddings.
Twins Archie and Charlie with their Christmas puddings
All Saints Church in Okehampton invited people to make their puddings in the town-centre church hall.
The afternoon event was organised by Michelle Farrelly, who gathered multiple bowls, aprons, and other cooking implements together, as well as copious quantities of currants, raisins and sultanas.
In all, 26 puddings were made, wrapped and taken home for cooking. People were advised to cook their puddings as soon as they got home because they contained raw egg.
The event brought together people from across the Okehampton community
The Rev’d Gill George, the Northmoor Mission Community Curate, said “The pudding preparation was interspersed with fascinating facts about the origin of Stir Up Sunday – such as stirring it from East to West like the Wise Men’s journey to visit the Baby Jesus – and marking the end of the Church Year.
“We all joined the historic prayer from 1549, which begins “Stir up, we beseech Thee, O Lord…” We also said our own prayers.
“The event was not just attended by families, there were lots of people who came alone or as groups of friends.”
Gill said approximately 80% of people who came were not churchgoers.
“It was thoroughly enjoyed by all and would not have been possible without a team of willing volunteers who came to the rescue with the washing and drying up – children included,” she added.
