The Tradition of King Cakes: A Mardi Gras Celebration Must-Have

As of January 6, 2008, the season of Mardi Gras is officially underway! Mardi Gras, which is French for "Fat Tuesday," is the season that proceeds the season of Lent. As tradition holds, Mardi Gras is the one last time to get all of the partying out of one's system before Lent begins. One of the biggest traditions of Mardi Gras in New Orleans is the tradition of the King Cake. Below I will explain what a King Cake is, how it came to be and the tradition associated with it as it pertains to the season of Mardi Gras.

Although the tradition of the King Cake began centuries ago, it was brought to New Orleans in the eighteenth century by early colonists from France and Spain. The King Cake was named after the three kings that traveled to visit the Christ child (in the bible). Each of the three kings that made the journey brought with them a gift for the baby Jesus, which included gold, frankincense and myrrh. In the bible, the journey of the three kings (the three Wiseman) took twelve days. The tradition of the King Cake begins on the twelfth day (January 6^th) and goes until Mardi Gras, which is the day before lent (or Ash Wednesday) begins.

The King Cake is a baked cake that very much resembles a cinnamon roll. It is often made of sweet twisted bread and topped with a sugary icing. Traditional Mardi Gras colors are yellow, purple, and green, and these are the colors that are most often incorporated into the icing. Many bakeries (especially in New Orleans) make standard King Cakes, but also offer variations in which the cake is filled with a flavor such as raspberry, lemon or cream cheese.

The tradition of the baby inside of a King Cake began in the US in the 1950's. Many people assume that there is a religious purpose to the baby, but in fact there is not. The baby inside the cake is the most common trinket placed inside of the cake, but not the only. Some people place beans, or mini crowns (tiaras) inside the King Cake instead of the traditional baby. Whichever is in your King Cake does not matter, as the responsibility of the one who receives the trinket does not change.

According the Mardi Gras tradition, the King Cake is cut and pieces are served. Whoever receives the trinket in their piece is responsible for hosting the Mardi Gras celebration the following year. At some places, such as the office celebration, the responsibility becomes that of brining the King Cake to next year's celebration.

While the tradition of Mardi Gras does have religious basis, it is still a time for fun and celebration. If you do not live near New Orleans, and your area is not big on celebrating Mardi Gras, you can still order the best King Cake straight from New Orleans. My favorite comes from Gambino's, which can be found at http://gambinos.info/cakes/kingcakes.html

Happy Mardi Gras, and Laissez Les Bons Temps Roulez!!