The King Cake Trinket

It can be eaten at Mardi Gras or in the festival of Epiphany (an event celebrated at the end of the 12 days of Christmas), but the King Cake is full of tradition and lore. King Cakes are brightly adorned and usually always feature a small trinket in the cake for someone to find. Traditionally in Europe the trinket is a bean and in the United States it is a small plastic or ceramic baby. It has been often said that the King Cake baby trinket while served on the last day of the 12 days of Christmas signifies Christ.

King Cake Trinkets

Whether there is religious significance to the “baby in the cake” part of the King Cake tradition, usually depending on the area there is some sort of trinket to be found inside of King Cakes. From small plastic dolls to more ornate carved bone or ceramic babies, there are some that still hold on to the gold bean tradition of putting it as the king cake prize. There have been some that have said that it refers to the baby Jesus, and there have been others that attach no religious affiliation to the event. There are a few traditions generally associated with King Cakes and getting the trinket.

King Cake Trinket Traditions

If there are two cakes presented, a King Cake for the males of the group and a “loomis” cake for the females, then the finders from each of the cakes are crowned the king and queen of the event. They can be given special treatment, perhaps fake crowns to highlight their good fortune. They will be the ones to host the next King Cake party and supply the cakes. If only one cake is make it is still referred to as a “King Cake” and both males and females will eat from it. The finder of that trinket will be the host of the coming King Cake event. If it is held in the work environment, the finder brings it for the coming day’s event (if it is held daily).

It is said that in Mexico they will pick the member of the group that will fix the tamales for the upcoming Candlemas event feast from the one that gets the trinket in the King Cake.

What is called a New Orleans King Cake, the one eaten on Mardi Gras, is more brightly colored and decorated that then ones that are for the festival of Epiphany. The Epiphany cakes are a bit more subdued and have less bright colors used to decorate the tops of the cakes.

6-20-09 this article first appeared on Suite 101.


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