In many households, it wouldn't be the holidays without a delicious Christmas pudding. Sweet Christmas pudding often contains a medley of dried fruits and nuts. A good Christmas pudding can make a perfect dessert addition to your Christmas dinner. Christmas pudding has its origins in England and has a rich history. For a variety of Christmas pudding recipes, along with stories about the pudding's history and tips on preparation, check out the links on this page.

In the fourteenth century a porridge called frumenty existed that is considered one of the earliest forms of Christmas pudding. The pudding contained a mixture of meal, breadcrumbs, mutton, raisins, wine, prunes, currants and spices all stuffed into a sausage casing and then baked enclosed inside a small pastry. In the fifteenth century there was a similar dish called plum pottage. It was made from chopped beef or mutton, with onions, root vegetables and dried fruits added for flavor.Puddings.net: The Christmas Pudding Tradition Food Timeline: Plum Pudding

There were a number of religious superstitions surrounding the Christmas pudding. For instance, it was once believed that Christmas pudding must be made on the twenty-fifth Sunday after Trinity, known as Stir-up Sunday. The superstitious also included thirteen ingredients in their Christmas puddings as a representation of Christ and each of his twelve disciples. Each member of the family took a turn in the stirring of the pudding (with a wooden spoon from east to west in honor of the Three Wise Men,) and made a wish.Puddings.net: The Christmas Pudding Tradition