National Plum Pudding Day is a holiday observed annually on February 12th, celebrating what many people consider to be a traditional holiday dessert. Sometimes known as Christmas pudding, plum pudding is a dish that has been enjoyed since the Middle Ages in England.

One fascinating fact about plum pudding is that many variations of the recipe don’t even contain plums. This is because, in Victorian England, raisins and other dried fruits were often referred to as plums. This means that everyone can enjoy this pudding—even if they’re not a fan of plums.

The History of Plum Pudding

Unfortunately, both the origins of National Plum Pudding Day and the dish plum pudding are somewhat mysterious. No one knows who invented the holiday, and there are only myths surrounding the creation of plum pudding. This is why we decided to find out which myth was most likely so we could come up with some history of this dessert, even if it’s fictionalized.

According to one of the most popular myths about this Christmas dessert, plum pudding was created in medieval England for Christmas celebrations. This pudding was supposed to be made on the 25th Sunday after Trinity and it had to be prepared with 13 ingredients.

Why 13 ingredients? They represented Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles. However, the earliest plum pudding recipes didn’t surface in print until the 17th century. Up until then, the recipes were mainly passed down by word of mouth. Some historians believe that the creation of plum puddings can be traced back to savory puddings made long before the Middle Ages.

Puddings that included sippets, croustades, as well as stirred custards. Even so, it’s believed by some that plum puddings didn’t actually get made during the early Middle Ages but were instead an invention of the Victorian Era—at least in their current form.

Delicious Facts About Plum Pudding

Want to know some tasty facts about plum pudding? Of course, you do. That’s why we’ve decided to find out everything we could about these “Christmas” puddings, so you have something to talk about while you’re celebrating this holiday.

• It’s believed that “plum puddings” during the 15th century were savory, not sweet.
• Sweetened plum puddings didn’t become popular until the end of the 16th century.
• In 1664, the Puritans banned Christmas Puddings because they wanted to make Christmas a fast day.
• Some people would put silver coins into their plum puddings, and it was said that whoever found a silver coin would have good luck.
• Other items placed into plum puddings included anchor charms, thimbles, rings, and even bachelor buttons.

Observing National Plum Pudding Day

Making a plum pudding is a great way to celebrate this holiday. There are a variety of plum pudding recipes that just about anyone can make in their kitchen. While you’re making your plum pudding, be sure to use the hashtag #NationalPlumPuddingDay to spread the word about this festive pudding holiday.