The Queen and the Flaming Pudding
The family Queen has seen this (pagan?) ritual in earlier years.
But this year she was most attentive.
And she has somehow developed a taste for plum pudding.
Canon EOS3, 16-35/2.8 lens, Kodak Portra 800, developed and scanned commercially.
burnt embers 
Impressive, you know how to do holidays!
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Thanks Lynn – this tradition comes from my British parents. I have seen it interpreted in purely Christian terms, but I suspect it is older than that with ancient pre-Christian elements pulled in to allow seasonal favourites to persist. What we don’t do, and which used to the be case until it became a problem among me and my four siblings was inclusion of a sterling silver object (a coin usually, but could be a charm or similar) cooked into the pudding. Whoever got the silver had good luck for the next year. I don’t recall bitter feelings when I did not “win” that lottery but I bet we all were jealous when a sibling got the prize. I suspect that is why that part of the tradition faded away in my family.
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I like the idea of the tradition coming from older times. I also love the living, seasonal plant (the holly) being part of it, and fire – it’s so elemental! I remember a similar birthday cake tradition from the 50’s, where my mother would wrap a little charm with foil and bake it in the cake, and one lucky person would come across it. In these days, where everyone has to win (I can see good and bad sides to that concept!) it would not fly!
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A very impressive ritual! And the wee Queen does look quite attentive!
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It is an impressive ritual – one I grew up with and have imposed on the family. The pudding is one that we (K and I, our son who is lighting the flame, and my parents) made in the fall of 2016. They keep well in the fridge so we made a huge batch which have served us and my parents well for two Christmases, and there is one left.
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