Anyway, I'm posting today to share another French holiday tradition, the Galette des Rois (Cake of the Kings). This tradition is typically carried out the Sunday following Christmas. French families bake or buy a sort of cake (I say cake because there's no true English translation for "galette." It's kind of closer to a pie, with a custard-y, cake batter-y almond filling. And it's tasty. Very tasty.), with a little porcelain bean baked inside. The cake is cut into pieces and distributed by the youngest member of the family. Then, everyone eats, and the person who finds the bean in their slice is crowned king or queen for the day.
The tradition of the Galette des Rois was originally celebrated at the Epiphany to commemorate the visit of the magi (hence the crowning of a king/queen), and is known to have existed since at least the 14th century. Fun fact: During the French Revolution (and approximately the half-century of... interesting politics that followed), the Galette des Rois was renamed the "Gateau d'Egalite" (Equality Cake) since the whole concept of kings had become a bit unpopular (sort of the same idea as Americans renaming sauerkraut "liberty cabbage" and things like that during World War II). The Galette earned back it's original name in the mid-1800s.
Anyway, this is my tradition to share this week. Hoping that everyone at home is enjoying their own holiday traditions! Joyeuses Fetes!
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