Epiphany Traditions in France

Today in France is Epiphany, the very last day of Xmas, when the wise Kings finally reached their destination to find Baby Jesus … well, so goes the story.

During today, many French people will eat the famous galette des rois, a crusty round cake filled with delicious almond paste called frangipane. In the middle of the cake there will be placed ‘une fève’, a small bean. When the family gathers together to tuck in, the first person to find the ‘fève’ becomes the king and then gets to decide who his queen should be or vice versa. In my house there would be so much excitement and argument around it that my mum one year bought two gallettes for the four of us children …. tout le monde était content.

We would spend the whole day wearing paper crowns and ordering our parents about. Great fun. I suppose nowadays these traditions are dying out; pity really, as it was cheaper than Xmas, immense fun, it gathered the family together and you got cakes and a crown in the bargain.

It was almost as popular as Xmas day itself!

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