The idea of plum pudding as a Christmas dish rose to prominence during the Victorian period, as seen in A Christmas Carol (published in 1843) shown in this illustration of the Ghost of Christmas Present from the first edition.
That Dickens saw the pudding as a unifying dish and a central symbol of Christmas cheer and plenty, is shown in his description of the Cratchit’s Christmas pudding:
In half a minute Mrs. Cratchit entered: flushed, but smiling proudly: with the pudding, like a speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm, blazing in half of half-a-quartern of ignited brandy, and bedight with Christmas holly stuck into the top.
Oh, a wonderful pudding! Bob Cratchit said, and calmly too, that he regarded it as the greatest success achieved by Mrs. Cratchit since their marriage.
An 1850 London Illustrated news article also describes its prominence in similar terms:
The Plum pudding is a national symbol – It does not represent a class or caste, but the bulk of the English nation. There is not a man, woman or child raised above what the French would call proletaires that does not expect a taste of plum pudding of some sort or another on Christmas Day.
Image credit Leeds University Library
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A Christmas Carol in Prose : Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. Such a bustle ensued that you might have thought a goose the rarest of all birds; a feathered phenomenon, to which a black swan was a matter of course—and in truth it was something very like it in that house.
What was the dessert at Bob Cratchit? ›
The Christmas Pudding Today
That Dickens saw the pudding as a unifying dish and a central symbol of Christmas cheer and plenty, is shown in his description of the Cratchit's Christmas pudding: In half a minute Mrs.
What is the difference between plum pudding and Christmas pudding? ›
Why is Christmas pudding also known as plum pudding? The interesting thing is, plum pudding does not contain any plum! This goes back to the Victorian practice of substituting dried plums with other dried fruits, such as raisins.
What is hidden in Christmas pudding? ›
It was customary to hide a number of small trinkets in the mixture, a bit like the twelfth night cake. These charms often included a silver coin which signified wealth, and a ring to represent a future marriage. Woe betide the guest who stumbled across a thimble in their serving…
What is the rarest bird to ever exist? ›
Overview: Perhaps the world's rarest bird, only one Stresemann's Bristlefront is known to survive in the wild. Unfortunately, this bird is confined to one of the most fragmented and degraded – and vulnerable – forests in the Americas.
Is figgy pudding different to Christmas pudding? ›
It's made with alcohol and dried fruit and is a traditional English dessert. It's more like a cake than what Americans think of as a soft, custard-like pudding. Figgy pudding is also known as Christmas pudding or plum pudding. It can also be affectionately called “pud.”
What is Christmas pudding called in the USA? ›
In America, Christmas Pudding (also known as plum pudding or figgy pudding) is a dish as famous as it is misunderstood.
Why is it called figgy pudding? ›
Rather than creamy puddings and custards, which Southern cooks are familiar with, this Christmas pudding dates back to medieval England and is a steamed cake full of spices, raisins, and currants soaked in brandy. If it contains figs, it is called a figgy pudding.
What is the superstition about Christmas pudding? ›
Superstitions say that Christmas pudding must be prepared with 13 ingredients, which are said to represent Jesus and his twelve disciples. It is also said that the mixture should be stirred in turn from east to west, by each family member, to honour the disciples' journey.
Why do people put pennies in Christmas pudding? ›
Finding a Christmas coin in your slice of pudding is believed to bring good luck and especially wealth in the coming year. This lovely tradition may date back as early as the 1300s when a dried pea or sometimes a small silver ring or crown was baked into a Twelfth Night Cake.
The Christmas sixpence
A silver sixpence was placed into the pudding mix and every member of the household gave the mix a stir. Whoever found the sixpence in their own piece of the pudding on Christmas Day would see it as a sign that they would enjoy wealth and good luck in the year to come.
What is a rare bird to see? ›
The Stresemann's Bristlefront is one of the rarest birds on earth - so rare that there is only one left.
What is the rarest dove? ›
The blue-eyed ground dove chick has become only the third of its kind to ever be raised in human care and only 15 individuals are believed to remain in the wild.
What is the rarest pet bird in the world? ›
The striking blue Spix's macaw is one of the world's critically endangered and rarest birds, with fewer than 150 remaining in the wild. Native to Brazil, these macaws were coveted as pets due to their bright colors and ability to mimic speech—leading to overhunting.
