What does the baby in a king cake symbolize?
When a king cake is served at a Mardi Gras celebration, everyone wants to know who was served the slice with the baby—but what does it mean if you find one? Tradition dictates that finding the baby in your cake symbolizes luck and prosperity, and the finder becomes the ‘king’ or ‘queen’ of the evening.
What’s the story behind the king cake?
Why Is There a Baby in the King Cake? A miniature plastic baby, which symbolizes baby Jesus, is placed inside of each cake to signify the Epiphany. The person who gets the slice that contains the baby is known as the king. They are charged with the responsibility of bringing a king cake to the next event.
What is baked in a king cake and what is the significance?
A king cake, also known as a three kings cake, is a cake associated in many countries with Epiphany. Its form and ingredients are variable, but in most cases a fève ( lit. ‘fava bean’) such as a figurine, often said to represent the Christ Child, is hidden inside.
What is traditionally hidden inside a king cake?
King cake is one of New Orleans’ local delicacies, an oval braided confection smothered with white icing and sugar sprinkles that salute the official colors of Mardi Gras: Green for faith, purple for justice, and gold for power. There’s a trinket, usually a plastic baby, hidden inside each one.
What happens if you cut the baby in a King Cake?
As you cut yourself a slice of the oval-shaped treat, they may inform you that whomever gets the piece with a small plastic baby inside has to bring the king cake themselves next time.
Do you eat King Cake on Fat Tuesday?
Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday – the day that marks the end of Mardi Gras and the start of the Lenten Season. It is also tradition to eat Paczki and King Cake.
What two things happen if you find the baby in the King Cake?
“There is traditionally a baby hidden inside the cake,” said Swift. “When the cake is sliced and served whoever gets the baby is declared king for the day. They also are responsible for hosting next year’s Fat Tuesday party and bringing the King Cake!” To see more from News 2+ click here.
Why is King Cake a circle?
The cakes were made circular to portray the circular route used by the kings to get to the Christ Child, which was taken to confuse King Herod who was trying to follow the wise men so he could kill the Christ Child. In these early King Cakes a bean, pea, or coin was hidden inside the cake.
What is hidden inside of the Rosca de Reyes?
Hidden inside the Rosca de Reyes, there’s one or various Baby Jesus figurines, symbolizing the need of a safe place for Jesus hidden away from King Herod. When the Rosca is divided in slices, each person sharing the Rosca must inspect their slice.
Why does king cake season always begin on Jan 6th?
In the Catholic world, Jan. 6 is called Epiphany or Twelfth Night (since it’s twelve days after Christmas) or Kings’ Day (hence the King Cake tie-in, right?). It marks the moment in the Bible that the three kings, having traveled over field and fountain, moor and mountain, arrived in Bethlehem to behold the baby Jesus.
What happens of someone gets the baby Jesus in the piece of Rosca?
The bejeweled-looking bread is meant to symbolize the gifts given to baby Jesus, and inside the bread is a little plastic baby, symbolizing the newborn messiah. If you get the baby in your slice, you have to cook tamales for everyone on Feb. 2, or Candelaria Day.
What happens if you get the baby Jesus in the Rosca?
It is considered to be good luck if the figurine is in the slice you receive. The person who finds the figurine of Jesus is designated to throw a fiesta and provide tamales on Día de la Candelaria which falls on February 2nd.