A Royal Galette des Rois on Epiphany Day
Is it about the galette or the fève?
Epiphany, or the Twelfth Night after Christmas, falls on January 6. It is a celebration you cannot ignore when in France. In the weeks leading up to this special day, ‘Galettes des Rois’ appear on the counters at nearly every French bakery. A galette is a delicious, sweet pie made of puff pastry and filled with apple or frangipane. Here in the south, I have noticed a slightly different version of the galette: a kind of big brioche, covered with icing sugar and brightly coloured candied fruit. And sometimes it is even filled with a big fat layer of whipped cream. Nom nom nom!!!
Collection
I have to confess that we, and mainly our kids, are not really interested in the galette itself. In fact, the celebration is primarily about the teeny tiny charm- called a ‘fève’ (bean)- hidden inside the galette. The person who finds the fève while eating their slice of galette then becomes the king or queen for the day. Traditional fèves represent Nativity Scene figures such as Jesus, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, sheep, and so on. Our children prefer collecting the non-traditional ones, which can be just about anything… from Barbapapa to The Jungle Book, geishas, or Calimero. You name it. Fortunately, you can also buy the figurines separately. This saves you from having to eat an entire galette just to add a fève to your collection. Much better for my New Year’s resolutions...
Tradition
Savouring the Galette des Rois is a real social event in France. If there are children present, the youngest child is asked to sit under the table. He or she has the honour to decide which slice is for whom. No cheating allowed! Dividing the parts of the galette is serious business. The person fortunate enough to receive the portion with the fève becomes the king or queen and can keep the charm and wear the golden crown that comes with the galette all day long. And it’s the king or queen who will buy the next galette. When I was little, our king or queen could decide what to eat for dinner the following evening. As I also like this tradition, I enjoy blending it with the French one.
Circus
It can be a bit difficult for the younger ones if they don’t find the fève, even though it’s part of the game. When our kids were small and I didn’t want tears during the festivities, I secretly bought three separate fèves. This way, everyone ends up happy. If the fèves are exceptionally nice, I’ll try to get the whole set. Although that rarely happens. The first year we were living in France, I found the coolest circus-themed fèves, including a porcelain circus arena. When I inquired about buying it, it wasn’t for sale… of course. Asking in my best French if I possibly, maybe could buy this beautiful circus arena, I was told I could only come and collect it on the first of February. For free. Yay! It still stands proudly on our chimney. And it is very hard for any new fèves to beat our circus collection.
