Part 5/8:
The origins of Christmas pudding are intricately linked to English Christmas traditions dating back to the 16th century. The revelry associated with the holiday was momentarily halted during the Puritan-led ban on Christmas celebrations in the mid-17th century. However, following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, plum pudding began to recapture its place at Christmas feasts.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, as British colonialism expanded, the pudding became a symbol of British identity, able to be preserved and transported across great distances. An impressive anecdote from 1887 documents how a forgotten pudding—left untouched for two years—was still edible upon its retrieval.