A special event organised by Evesham Curate, Prajna Pal-Lad with support from Evesham Welcomes Refugees, saw people from across the globe who now live in Evesham sharing their favourite puddings at All Saints’ Church.
The event marked the end of a weekend of national initiatives organised by Together with Refugees from 5-7 December. People from all cultures and nationalities were invited to bring a traditional pudding to the church and talk about the memories of childhood that it evoked. There was then a chance for everyone to sample the pudding before the person and their homeland were prayed for and a candle lit.
A range of puddings were brought from Syria, India, Bulgaria, South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia Poland, Ukraine and Demark as well as UK classics such as Christmas pudding, apple pie and bread and butter pudding. Each person explained how the pudding was made and what it reminded them of.
Prajna herself brought an Indian pudding which is served on special occasions. She said: “This pudding reminds me of love, care and nurture, everything a home should be. It evokes feelings of safety and unconditional love.”
She continued: “It is great to see our table this evening loaded with puddings from so many difficult cultures. Puddings are made of indulgent ingredients and reminds us that living in Gods’ world is about being cherished in a place we can call home, a place where every person is welcomed.”
Luba brought a traditional Christmas pudding from Ukraine made with seeds and nuts. Luba has lived in the UK for 20 years but knows many people still in Ukraine. She said: “My wish is that all those in Ukraine would be able to celebrate Christmas. I visited Ukraine with the MOD in the summer. Things were terrible then but are 100 times worse now and it’s difficult to know how people are surviving. So many innocent lives have been affected, and it shouldn’t be happening anywhere in the world. It is great to see people coming together over Christmas puddings this evening.”
The event was attended by Bishop Martin and the Mayor and Mayoress of Dudley. Bishop Martin offered his thanks to Prajna for bringing everyone together saying: “It is great to see people from so many different parts of the world. Wherever we’ve come from, we feel the presence of God with us.”
The Mayor of Evesham, John Clatworthy, said: “Evesham is renowned for welcoming refugees and helping them to settle in our community. Many have escaped persecution and fear and we want them to feel at home here. Events like this evening are about putting that welcome into action, not just talking about it.”
