“Don’t forget to let me lick the spoon!”

Thank you to Dementia Advocate Joy for sharing her story. 

One of the most popular parts of our family Christmas celebration is the Christmas pudding. 

When I was a young child, I have memories of visiting my Grandmother’s house the week before Christmas to watch her making the Christmas pudding and having a turn of stirring the pudding mixture then having a lick of the spoon after the mixture was put into the pudding bowl. 

After my Grandmother aged, my mother took over the task of making the pudding and my two brothers and I had turns to stir the pudding. My mum added something new to the making of the Christmas pudding tradition.

We couldn’t wait for the Christmas pudding to be served to hopefully find a threepence or sixpence or sometimes even a button in our pudding.

When I married Bruce, the man of my dreams, I continued with the making of the Christmas pudding tradition and, of course, Bruce got to stir the pudding and, yes, lick the spoon. We have been carrying on this tradition for the 56 years we have been married. 

We no longer have money in the pudding, but now that our grandchildren are older, I have introduced pouring warmed brandy over the pudding and setting it alight which brings many “oohs and ahs” from the family. 

Despite Bruce having Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinsonism, he still continues to stir the pudding mixture every year. We have already put in the diary the date we will be making the pudding this year and Bruce’s last comment was “don’t forget to let me lick the spoon”.

We are here to help. If you need information or advice this festive season, please call the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. The Helpline is available from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday excluding public holidays.

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