History of the Galette des Rois-King Cake

The Galette des Rois, or king cake, is a dessert associated with the Christmas season in European countries and with Mardi Gras in the United States. Its most notable feature is the hidden prize, usually a trinket figurine, in the cake. The person who finds the figurine in his slice of cake is dubbed king for the day and obligated to buy the next king cake.

Pre-Christian Roots

Pope Julius commemorated January 6 as "le jour des Rois" in the 12th century, but it is possible that the idea of the Galette de Rois takes root in a pre-Christian harvest ritual. According to this pagan tradition, whoever found the bean in a special cake was crowned king for the year and then sacrificed at next year's festival.

Three Kings

The kings honored by the modern Galette des Rois are the three Magi, men who in Biblical legend followed the Star of Bethlehem to the stable of the Christ child. Their journey is said to have taken 12 days, and the 12 days of Christmas end on the Epiphany, or le jour des Rois. The Galette des Rois is said to draw the kings to their epiphany, and thus, in France, the king cake's season begins on Epiphany Day. Today, the dessert can be found in bakeries through all of January.

Le Fève

The tradition of hiding "un fève" (a lucky charm) within the king cake is borrowed from the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, a week-long public festival at the end of the year in which social roles were said to be reversed. During Saturnalia, whoever found the little bean in their cake---"feve" also means "bean"---was honored as the king of the feast, even if he was a slave. As the tradition spread to Christian countries, the English began including both a bean and a pea to crown the King and the Queen of Twelfth Night. The corresponding tradition, where the King or Queen must buy a round of drinks, or next year's king cake, may be responsible for the evolution of the lucky charm from a bean to a ceramic figurine: It is much harder to swallow a figurine and thus avoid the obligation of having to buy drinks.

New Orleans

In New Orleans, men and women in "krewes" (groups who participate in Mardi Gras parades and parties) began using the Galette des Rois to choose the person who would be responsible for throwing the next party. The Galette des Rois carries a particular association with New Orleans, and today, many people imagine the Louisiana-style king cake (round, filled with frangipane, and covered with purple, green and gold) when they think of the Galette de Rois.

Cultural Variation

A similar version of the Galette des Rois is the Mexican "la Rosca de Reyes," which people eat on Epiphany Day. This Mexican king cake is oval-shaped and decorated with candied fruit. The person who finds the trinket in the cake must take it to the celebration of Candlemas on February 2 and often must prepare tamales for the occasion as well.

Resources

• Three Kings Day in Mexico