There's a series with Joanna Bogle on EWTN called "Feasts and Seasons," and she was just talking about Stir-Up Sunday last Sunday. The first Sunday of Advent - you "stir up" your faith and anticipation of the Advent of our Lord while you stir up your Christmas pudding.
I'm going to try making a Christmas pudding one day. I guess most people don't like it, but I'm one of those weirdos who likes fruit cake, so I might well like Christmas pudding, too.
My mother used to make insane fruitcake, well-basted with brandy and rum. *hic* I'm not ambitious enough for that.
I make a cake during the holidays that was called "Bishop's Bread" by my Polish mother-in-law. It has no fruit in it except maraschino cherries but you can add dates if you like, too. Very easy to make, beautiful to look at and tastes like a chocolate-covered cherry.
Bishop's Bread:
Beat 3 eggs with the juice from a jar of cherries (about a 12 to 15 oz jar)
Mix in a cup of sugar, a tablespoon of baking powder, a half-teaspoon of salt, beat smooth.
Mix in two cups of flour and stir until smooth.
Add a cup each of walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips and the drained cherries and stir to disperse everything in the batter.
Grease and flour a tube pan or two loaf pans and pour the batter in. Bake at 325º for about an hour.