Stir-up Sunday
22 November 2026 · movable holiday — Stir and make a wish! Your turn – one wish each!
Stir-up Sunday is a British custom held on the last Sunday before Advent, the preparation season in the Christian calendar. Its name comes from an old prayer in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, which begins with the words “Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord…”. Over time, the phrase became linked with the playful family stirring of the Christmas pudding.
The pudding is made from dried fruit, spices and suet or butter, and it is prepared early so that it can mature before Christmas. According to tradition, each family member gives the mixture a stir and makes a wish, often moving from east to west in memory of the journey of the three wise men. Some families hide a coin in the mixture, which is said to bring luck to whoever finds it.
The date moves: Advent begins on the Sunday closest to 30 November, so the custom falls between 20 and 26 November. In 2026 it is 22 November, on one of the long autumn evenings when the stars appear early.
Flying across the sky: An ethereal, bluish-silver figure of a large wooden spoon drawn as a constellation of luminous dots and fine lines, slowly stirring in a circle across the night sky
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