KING CAKES AND KING CAKE PARTIES:
AN OVERVIEW

King Cake Parties are a New Orleans and south Louisiana tradition that was heavily borrowed from pre-medieval European customs.  Specifically, in the pre-Christian religions of what is now present-day France and Western Europe, it was customary to choose a man to be the "sacred king" of the tribe for a year.  That man would be treated like a king for the year, then he would be sacrificed, and his blood returned to the soil to ensure that the upcoming harvest would be an abundant one.  The method of choosing who would have the honor of being the sacred king was the King's Cake.  A coin or bean would be placed in the cake before baking, and whoever got the slice that had the coin or bean was the chosen one.  When Christianity extended its influence into France and Western Europe, it began overshadowing the religions that came before it.  Many of the local customs were not abolished outright, but instead were incorporated into a Christian tradition and given a new spin.  Catholic priests were not predisposed to human sacrifice, so the King's Cake was converted into a celebration of the Magi, the three Kings who came to visit the Christ Child.

King Cake Parties have been increasing in popularity since the 1960 and up through today.  King Cake Parties begin on January 6, and are held up until Mardi Gras Day.  January 6 is the 12^th day of Christmas, which also marks the beginning of Epiphany.  This day is also known as King’s Day.  It is supposedly the day the Biblical Magi, more commonly known as the Three Wise Men, visited the baby Jesus to offer him their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  The names of the Three Wise Men were Balthasar, Gaspar (also known as Caspar), and Melchior. 

The word Epiphany means many things to different people.  As a feeling, it is a realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something or someone.  Or an inspired understanding arising from connecting with profound insight, awareness, or enlightened truth.  As a meditation, Epiphany is a practice of evoking and engaging with mindful contemplation.  A breakthrough or transcendent awareness.  Or a profound realization that seems to engage one's whole being in resonant connection with aspects of truth and insight.  As was already stated and will be explained in greater detail later on, Epiphany, in Louisiana, marks the beginning of Mardi Gras season, which is also known as King Cake season, and celebrates the Three Wise Men.  In French, the word Mardi means "Tuesday"; Gras means "Fat".  Hence, the words "Fat Tuesday" in English.  In a nutshell, Mardi Gras is held the day before the start of the 40-day  a celebration of the Christian liturgical season of Lent, Ash Wednesday.  Mardi Gras is also know as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, because in some parts of the world, it is customary to each pancakes on that day.  That is because during Lent, since fasting is involved, only the plainest of foodstuffs may be eaten.  Therefore, rich ingredients such as eggs, milk and sugar have to be disposed of immediately.  One efficient way of using up these goods was to make pancakes and doughnuts.  In France, the pancakes are called crepes.

Some other examples of what Epiphany means in other places around the world are that:

• January 6 is the day in most European cultures when the Christmas greenery is taken down.  The other cultures will keep it up until February 2, the day known as the Meeting of the Lord.

• In The Netherlands, this day is called Driekoningendag, which is Dutch for Three Kings Day.

• In Ireland, this day is called Little Christmas (Nollaig Bheag in Gaelic), or more specifically, Women's Christmas (Nollaig na mBan).  That is because men take on all the household chores and give their wives a day of rest.   Children will often buy presents for their mothers and grandmothers, similar to Mother's Day.  Most women will either host parties or celebrate the day with their friends, sisters, mothers, aunts, daughters, etc.   The clientele in the pubs and restaurants will be completely or almost completely comprised of women.  This celebration is very popular in the city of Cork. 

• In France, people eat the gateau des Rois in Provence.  Or the galette des Rois in Belgium and France's northern half.  These food items are similar to a King Cake and has a trinket or bean inside.  Whoever gets the trinket or bean is King or Queen for the Year.

• In England, the Anglican Church regards Epiphany as a Principal Fast.  It begins with the Evening Prayer on Epiphany Eve and ends with an Evening Prayer on the Feast of the Presentation, which is usually on February 2.

• In Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and other Latin American countries, Epiphany Day is called El Dia de los Reyes (the Day of the Kings) or Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos (The Day of the Three Royal Magi).  Some people in Chile call this day Pascua de los Negros (Holy Day of the Blackmen).

• In the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Epiphany is celebrated on January 19 (or January 20 if it is a leap year).  It is marked by a feast called Timkat, which features the Blessings of the Waters and solemn possessions,  with the sacred Tabot.

• In the Syriac Christmas, the Epiphany feast is called Denho, meaning up-going.  This name is associated with the notion a rising light in Luke 1:78.

• Also in Spain, Mexico and Puerto Rico, and in Argentina and Uruguay, children and many adults anxiously await for toys and other gifts brought to them by the three Kings.  They do this by polishing their shoes and leaving them ready for the Kings' presents before they go to bed on Epiphany Eve.   The shoes are left by the family Nativity scene, by everyone's, or underneath the Christmas tree.  Sometimes the shoes are filled with hay for the camels, so that the Kings will be generous with their gifts.   A letter to the Three Kings, which can be toy requests,  may also be left by the shoes.  Some households even leave sweet wine, nibbles, fruit, and milk for the Kings and their camels.  Children in Puerto Rico will even fill a box with grass or hay and place it underneath their bed, for the same aforementioned reasons.  When the shoes are left underneath the Christmas tree, it is analogous to children leaving mince pies or cookies and milk out for Father Christmas in Western Europe.

• According to Spanish tradition, when the Three Wise Men brought their gifts to baby Jesus, Melchior arrived on a horse to bring gold and to represent Europe; Gaspar arrived on a camel to bring frankincense and to represent Arabia; and Melchior arrived on an elephant to bring myrrh and to represent Africa.

A King Cake, as illustrated in the photo above, is an oval-shaped cinnamon sweetened yeast bread.  It is usually filled with a filling, such as, but not limited to, lemon, apple, strawberry, pecan, raspberry, blueberry, chocolate, or cream cheese.  Since Epiphany symbolizes many different things as was just explained, the cake is shaped in the form of an oval to symbolize the unity of faiths.  The cake is decorated in three different colors – Purple, Green, and Gold, which are the colors of Mardi Gras.  Purple represents justice, Green represents faith, and Gold represents power.  Purple also represents the passion of Christ, Green also represents hope, and Gold also symbolizes the rewards of leading a Christian life.  However, some bakers will add a little bit of Red to the King Cake, which symbolizes the life of Jesus Christ.

In New Orleans, the King Cake tradition came with the first French settlers and has stayed ever since.  Like the rest of Mardi Gras during those early days, the King Cake was a part of the family's celebration, and really didn't take on a public role until after the Civil War.  In 1870, a group of men known as the Twelfth Night Revelers held their ball, with a large King Cake as the main attraction.  Instead of choosing a sacred king to be sacrificed, the Twelfth Night Revelers used the bean in the cake to choose the queen of the ball.  This tradition has carried on to this day, although the Twelfth Night Revelers now use a wooden replica of a large king cake.  The ladies in attendance take turns pulling open the little drawers in the cake's lower layer, some of which contain silver and gold beans.  A lady who gets a silver bean mean that she is on the court; the lucky lady who gets the lone gold bean is the Queen.  With the Twelfth Night Revelers making a big deal over the King Cake in the society circles, other people in the city started having their own King Cake Parties.  And these parties would eventually spread to other parts of Louisiana and beyond.  These parties particularly among children, became very popular and have also continued to today.  The focus of today's king cake party for kids has shifted more to the school classroom than the home, however.  Up through the 1950's, neighborhoods, especially those in larger cities, would have parties.  One family would start the ball rolling after Twelfth Night, and they'd continue on weekends through Carnival.  Whoever got the baby (the coin or bean had changed to a ceramic or porcelain baby about an inch long by then) in the King Cake, was given the honor to host the next party.  You can still hear stories from folks who were kids during the Great Depression of what their mommas would do to them if they came home with the baby from a King Cake Party, since so many families were short on money then.

At a King Cake Party, the host will instruct everyone to gather round the King Cakes, in groups (one big cake is usually present, but in this example, as will be explained later, there are three small ones.)  Then, the host instructs everyone to take a knife, take turns cutting a small piece of the cake, and putting it on their paper plate.  That's all the guests do for the moment; they are not to eat it yet.  That's because one of the pieces has a surprise in it.  When the host gives the nod, everyone will break open their piece to see who has the surprise.  The host mentions that when the three people find the surprise, they are to hold it up.   What these people are holding is another symbol of the King Cake.  It is a figurine that represents baby Jesus.  This little "searching" activity for the guests to participate in to find the baby, is based on the notion of the Three Wise Men following the star of Bethlehem to find baby Jesus.

Now, all three people who found the baby Jesus in their piece of cake will come up and stand beside the host.  Here is what it means for all three people.  They are the Kings and/or Queens for the day.  The host or last year's Kings/Queens will then crown these three people (a crown from a party goods store is ideal.)  These three people will also have one year of good luck.  They are then blessed by, the host, a priest or member of the clergy, or even a volunteer.  Now, there are two things that this year's Kings and/or Queens will have to do.  First, they get the honor of hosting next year’s King Cake Party and supplying the King Cake.  The second thing is they have to do is portray one of the Three Wise Men – again, Balthasar, Gaspar, and Melchior.  One easy, fun, and educational way that this can be done is to have each of the three people pick any one of the Three Wise Men, and read a passage about them and the gifts that they brought - gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Sample passages that can be used can be found by clicking on the names of the Three Wise Men listed below:

Balthasar

Gaspar

Melchior

When this little ceremony is done, the King Cake Party gets into full swing.  Besides the King Cake, there is plenty of food and drink to go around.  Simple snacks, munchies, or plates of cheeses and vegetable platters are just fine.  Or if the hosts wants to get real snazzy, some ideal things to serve are some mouth-watering Louisiana and Cajun dishes.  And everyone also enjoys some swinging and dancing Louisiana, Cajun, and Mardi Gras music.

Actually, there is considerable debate as to how many wise men really did visit baby Jesus.  It has been said that there could have been as many as 20.  Whether it was 3, 20, or something in between, it is also not known who brought what in the way of gifts.  But is it commonly believed that there were three wise men, Balthasar, Gaspar, and Melchior, synonymous with the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, and that the gifts that were brought were gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

More information can be found by clicking on any of the following links below:

Trivia

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Source of information:  Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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