Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding

Did you know that back in the 17th century Christmas puddings were outlawed in England? Evidently the Puritans objected to them, claiming that the dried fruits and spices lent themselves to too much happiness. And, you know, Puritans were the ultimate Happiness Police. No one should be having a good time on their watch.

Despite the law, though, Christmas puddings persisted across the pond. (Gotta love those rebellious English!) Today the most we ever hear of Christmas puddings is in the song "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." My kids were singing the chorus today. "Bring us some figgy pudding, oh bring us some figgy pudding...what is figgy pudding?"

Good question. I looked it up, and discovered it's more like a dense cake with sauce than the type of pudding we generally think of. In other words, you're not going to find it in a box of instant pudding in your local grocery store. But it also reminded me of a Christmas pudding my grandma used to make. She used apples, potatoes, and raisins, and cooked it inside of an old shortening can. I'm sure there were more sophisticated ways to cook it, but she was a farmer's wife and she used what was on hand.

I found a video demonstrating how to make figgy pudding, and I am seriously tempted to try it. It looks like you need to start it at least a day in advance. But if you're interested, check it out! This might be the year of a new Christmas tradition. (By the way, if you're anything like me, you might think, "Wow. They didn't even wipe down the stove before they filmed this video." But I'm trying to get past that and just appreciate the tutorial.)





I hope you have a festive and very merry Christmas! And if you make this figgy pudding, tell me about it!