Today, January 6th, is 3 Kings Day also known as Epiphany. According to Christian faith this is the day that the 3 Kings arrived in Bethlehem, bearing gifts for Baby Jesus. It is a national holiday in Germany but not here in Luxembourg. Here in Luxembourg as in France, Epiphany is celebrated with a Kings Cake called,
galette des rois in French.
This year we purchased a
galette des rois with apple instead of frangipane since we are generally now a
nut free house. We all enjoyed the apple version much better!
You may remember from my
post last year that a trinket (in french called a
fève) is hidden in every
galette des rois. This year,
Manny from Ice Age was hidden in our cake. I thought this was totally lame until I did a bit of research on
fèves. I found out that very often
fèves are made in the image of popular cartoon characters. It wasn't just the modern day commercial infiltrating of holidays like I originally assumed. Babies remain the most common
fève with kings right behind.
fèves are collectors items. You can find gobs of them on
ebay. Who knew, right?
Wondering
who found the
fève in our cake and got to be King for a day?
Curious about 3 Kings Day in Switzerland? Read about it
here.
Today, January 6th, is 3 Kings Day also known as Epiphany. According to Christian faith this is the day that the 3 Kings arrived in Bethlehem, bearing gifts for Baby Jesus. It is a national holiday in Germany but not here in Luxembourg. Here in Luxembourg as in France, Epiphany is celebrated with a Kings Cake called, galette des rois in French.
This year we purchased a galette des rois with apple instead of frangipane since we are generally now a nut free house. We all enjoyed the apple version much better!
You may remember from my post last year that a trinket (in french called a fève) is hidden in every galette des rois. This year, Manny from Ice Age was hidden in our cake. I thought this was totally lame until I did a bit of research on fèves. I found out that very often fèves are made in the image of popular cartoon characters. It wasn't just the modern day commercial infiltrating of holidays like I originally assumed. Babies remain the most common fève with kings right behind. fèves are collectors items. You can find gobs of them on ebay. Who knew, right?
Wondering who found the fève in our cake and got to be King for a day?
Curious about 3 Kings Day in Switzerland? Read about it here.
10 comments:
I love it.. only in europe would they put potential chocking hazards in food. Wish ephiphany was celebrated here.. everyone could use an extra holiday after christmas/new year :)
I was in France for Epiphany 9 years ago (it doesn't seem that long) and I got the fevre in our galette. It was a figurine of Mary - I still have it tucked away with my treasures. Good times.
what a fun tradition...the cake looks almost too beautiful to eat.
YUMMY!!!!!!!
I can practically taste the butter in that galette - looks so golden and so delicious, mmm! Never had an apple version before, but sure sounds good.
And I was totally with you - major disappointment on the commercial fève inside. I knew about those little objects being major collector's items for years and years, but I just didn't think of current movie characters as staying true to tradition. But perhaps...
And so funny - totally, as This Girl loves to Talk said above, in America a Galette des Rois has lawsuit written all over it, ha ha !
Thanks for the informative post! I've got King Cake on my mind today as well... The kind made in South Louisiana all throughout the Lenten season. We find babies in our cakes as well. The lucky person is then responsible for getting the next cake.
Have a great day!
Isabel went into school today with her gold crown and was delighted to have found a fève in the form of a....pink Cadillac! Can you imagine? Great choice for her and a lot more interesting than the other ones we've had over the last 4 years! See you soon.
galette des rois - not for children under three :)
I meant the "pre-lenten season." Sorry for the confusion. . .
Dana
This Girl: One of the many things I love about Europe . . .
Shontelle - I think I'll keep the ones we've found forever too.
Leslie - It is fun! *Almost* too beautiful to eat - but not quite!
likeschocolate - I hope you get to try one some day. Hey - you could make your own!
Kerrin - Butter. Yes. They are not afraid of it over on this side of the pond. I swear the butter tastes better here too. Even if cartoon characters are some what traditional as feves, they just aren't nearly as charming as the other versions. I agree with you, no collector is going to be pining over a Manny from Ice Age feve.
Dana- I saw pictures of those southern Kings cakes when I was researching the French ones. What do they taste like? They sure are garish looking - but I bet they're good.
Christina - What an ultra cool feve! Yay for Isabel!
Mamamonkey - Ha Ha. In the U.S. they would most certainly come with a warning sticker. And sin tax as well??
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