At the beginning of January, galettes des rois appear in bakeries and pastry shops in France. These round, golden cakes are associated with Epiphany and are often sold with a paper crown.
But an important part of the tradition is hidden inside the galette. Inside is a small object called une fève. The person who finds it becomes the king or queen.
A cake for Epiphany
The galette des rois is associated with l'Épiphanie, or Epiphany, a Christian holiday celebrated on January 6.
In the Christian tradition, Epiphany commemorates the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus. This story explains the kings and crowns that are part of the galette tradition.
Today, eating the galette is also a social tradition. In January, people share it with family, friends, classmates, or coworkers. You do not need to celebrate Epiphany as a religious holiday to take part in the tradition.
What's inside a galette?
In northern France, people often eat a galette filled with frangipane. Frangipane is an almond cream.
Here are some useful words for talking about the tradition:
| French | Meaning |
|---|---|
| une galette des rois | the traditional cake for Epiphany |
| la frangipane | an almond cream |
| une fève | a small object hidden inside the galette |
| une couronne | the crown given to the person who finds the fève |
| un roi | the person crowned king |
| une reine | the person crowned queen |
| l'Épiphanie | Epiphany, the holiday associated with the galette des rois |
The word fève normally means a type of bean. In the past, people could hide a real bean in the cake. Today, the fève is generally a small figurine or another small object.
Who becomes the king or queen?
Before serving the galette, people cut it into slices. The person who finds the fève in their slice receives a paper crown and becomes le roi or la reine.
There is also a tradition for distributing the slices at random. The youngest child goes under the table and decides who receives each slice without seeing it.
Someone can then ask: C'est pour qui ? ("Who is this for?")
The child gives the name of the person who will receive the slice.
Finding the fève is the central moment of the tradition. You need to eat your slice with a little care because there really is a small object hidden inside.
Not all galettes are the same
The galette with frangipane is very well known, but there are other kinds of galettes des rois.
In southern France, you can also find a crown-shaped cake made with brioche dough and decorated with candied fruit. Depending on the region, it may have names such as gâteau des rois or couronne des rois.
These traditions change from one region to another. For the same holiday, you may find different cakes and different words.
A tradition that lasts more than one day
Epiphany is celebrated on January 6, but people do not eat galette des rois only on that day. You can find galettes throughout much of January, and people may share several with family, friends, or coworkers.
You may also encounter the expression tirer les rois, which refers to the tradition of sharing the galette and choosing the king or queen.
In January, you will therefore see and hear a few words regularly in bakeries, pastry shops, and conversations: galette, frangipane, fève, roi, reine, and couronne.
Before you go
The galette des rois combines an old tradition with the social experience of sharing a cake. If you see a galette with a paper crown in January, you now know why the crown is there and what may be hidden inside.
And if someone offers you a slice, remember the fève. You may be the next king or queen.