Today is Epiphany, known as Fete des Rois in France. It is believed to be the day the Three Kings presented their gifts honouring the Baby Jesus. French tradition is to eat la galette des rois, a flat round gateau (cake) with an almond butter filling. A trinket is baked inside each cake. Whoever receives the piece containing the trinket is considered King or Queen for the day, then can wear the gold paper crown that comes with gateau from the local boulangerie. An angel trinket from a previous galette des rois is pictured atop an antique priest's vetement from a French eglise (church).
oh that is interesting; what fun!
Posted by: AscenderRisesAbove | 09 January 2007 at 08:10
Sweet photo. What a charming custom! Have you ever found the trinket and worn the crown?
xo
Posted by: tinker | 07 January 2007 at 09:12
Any good stories of when you have eaten une galette des rois? Any broken teeth? Why do they make the crowns so that they only fit on children's heads? They are delicious, aren't they?
Those little figurines are wonderful keepsakes, though...we line them up each year.
Meilleurs voeux!!
Posted by: blueVicar | 07 January 2007 at 07:06
We also celebrate Epiphany or 12th Day of Christmas, and since last year the French tradition of baking a figurine into a cake is included (blogged it yesterday)
Posted by: Britt-Arnhild | 07 January 2007 at 07:04
What a lovely thing to learn - and you incorporated so many interesting facts!! Wonderful!! I, too, love little trinkets. What to do with them is another thing - but I just love them.
I meant to tell you - of course I adore your new banner. Cherry blossoms.. pink. Makes me all warm and fuzzy!!
Posted by: holli | 07 January 2007 at 02:05
We'll take down the creche today. Placing that figurine on that lush background was very effective!
Posted by: tut-tut | 07 January 2007 at 01:59
Your new banner is GORGEOUS! What a nice pick me up to come and see it and read your latest post. Happy, belated Fete de Roi!
Posted by: Laura | 06 January 2007 at 23:20
Here's hoping you are Queen for the Day (or better yet, everyday!!) xo, JP
Posted by: JanePoe (aka Deborah) | 06 January 2007 at 22:25
Who wouldn't love to be queen for a day? And with dessert, too? Sounds like my kind of holiday! *smile* Love the new banner! It makes me think of spring . . .
Posted by: Kim G. | 06 January 2007 at 22:11
My daughter had the pleasure of taking part in this tradition one year when she spent a month in Paris studying French - I believe she said she was queen for the day! In New Zealand we used to have coins in the Christmas pudding. Sixpence was a lot of money when I was a child - now it seems hardly worth the bother. I have heard of silver pudding charms that tell a fortune, and are re-used year after year - more interesting, I think, but I don't know where I would buy them.
Posted by: Catherine | 06 January 2007 at 21:58
I've heard about these cakes and have always wanted to try one. I love the little saint and that you get to be king or queen for the day!!
Posted by: kristen | 06 January 2007 at 21:42
Tara,
Oh too funny!! Great minds, etc., etc.,.... LOL I just blogged about this same subject earlier today!
Bonnes Fetes! (I think, though my French is niet goed! lol hmm... type pad wopn't let me make that cute carrot top over the e... of course, I could be wrong... heh heh)
xo
Judy & "the katten"
Posted by: Judy (and Finn & Sacha the "kats") | 06 January 2007 at 20:46
Is this a FRESH NEW look to your post I see!
How uplifting with the cherry blossoms!
What a nice tradition you have ..angels a symbol of peace for me. Hugs NG
Posted by: naturegirl | 06 January 2007 at 19:33
Yummmm........CAKE! What a neat tradition!
Posted by: Pam Aries | 06 January 2007 at 18:51
A sweet reminder; I love that trinket. I haven't had a Fête des Rois galette since childhood. I think I got a coin once....
Posted by: Colette | 06 January 2007 at 18:25
Sounds like a very sweet tradition. I bet you are the queen of the day!! Well if not, you are our Queen everyday! This reminds me of when I was a child, my mom would wrap money in foil, hide it in the cake, then ice it. It was exciting to find that large coin, only a quarter in those days!
Love and hugs Sherrie
Posted by: giggles | 06 January 2007 at 18:14
Tara, I have fallen in love with the little angel trinket. Do you know of an on-line site that sells these specific sorts of trinkets? Your tale of the cake reminds me of stories I've heard about surprises in Italian cakes. And around here, the Portuguese place a cooked, unshelled egg in a portion of a cake. Lucky is the person who gets the piece with the egg.
Posted by: annieelf | 06 January 2007 at 17:15
Tara,
I've never had la galette des rois, it sounds delicious. In fact, I'd not heard of it before I did this 12 days of Christmas blog. That's unusual, since I grew up in a traditional French catholic family and attended the "french" church. My great aunt Nellie,(more grand-mother than aunt) followed the church teachings and was a devout catholic. She also loved to cook, but I don't recall any King's cake being around.
rel
Posted by: rel | 06 January 2007 at 17:06
J'adore your new layout and would love to steal it.
Posted by: [a} | 06 January 2007 at 16:11
Oh, thanks for the reminder- I can't believe it's the Epiphany already! Time to take down the decorations! I love the idea of the cake and the trinket and the crown- these little traditions keep the world together, I think. I wonder if the French bakery in town here will have a gateau today?
Love the little angel...
Posted by: Regina Clare Jane | 06 January 2007 at 15:51