Article credit: Jean Silvan-Evans (City URC)
Christmas is coming – and so is the time to ‘Stir-Up’ City’s Christmas cake!
An old tradition that City Church has adapted to its own needs and that brings us together at the start of the festive season
STIR-UP SUNDAY is a centuries-old tradition that the late Grace Mordecai – to the annual delight of the children – adapted for use in City URC. And it will be celebrated once again this year on Sunday 24 November, the last Sunday before Advent.
Traditionally, home-cooks used the last Sunday before Advent to ‘stir-up’ their Christmas puddings. Every member of the family would take a turn in stirring the mixture while making a wish – stirring from east to west in honour of the Wise Men who came from the east to visit the baby Jesus.
Grace adapted the tradition to make it a time to ‘stir-up’ City’s Christmas cake. She would put on her ‘pinny’, roll up her sleeves and ask children to bring forward the ingredients brought by the congregation to add to the succulent mix. Then they would take turns to help Grace ‘stir-up’ the cake.
We will share the cake at coffee time on the last Sunday before Christmas. This year the cake will be made from a gluten free, nut free, vegan recipe, so that all members are able to safely have a slice if they wish.
‘Stirring-up’ is not really a cooking term. Stir-up Sunday takes its name from the collect for the day in the Book of Common Prayer, which begins with the words: ‘Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people …’ But it’s a lovely reminder that it’s time to start thinking about Christmas.
The City URC recipe:
Ingredients
150g FREEE Rice Flour
1 tsp FREEE Xanthan Gum
2 tsp mixed spice
100g glacé cherries
500g mixed dried fruit
1 apple, grated
1 orange, grated rind and juice
150g brown sugar
125g sunflower oil
75ml water
oil, for tin
cranberries, redcurrants, bay leaf, rosemary or holly leaf (without holly berries) to decorate