Title: Fête des Rois (Epiphany / King’s Day)
AGE: 55
Date_of_performance: May 1, 2025
Language: French
Nationality: American grew up in Paris
Occupation: Consultant
Primary Language: English
Residence: Toronto, Canada
Folklore Explanation:
“We always did Fête des Rois growing up—it was just part of the rhythm after New Year’s. We’d have the galette des rois, that puff pastry cake with almond filling, and there’d always be a fève hidden inside. The person who got the slice with the fève was the king or queen for the day, and they got to wear the paper crown that came with the cake. In our house, the winner would either kiss the person they loved, or if you were sitting with friends or siblings, it was the person to your left. It was lighthearted, but it felt kind of royal as a kid.
What I remember most, though, was in elementary school. They made a big thing of it. We’d all sit under the table—literally under it—while someone cut the galette, and then they’d call out who got each slice. That way it stayed random. And the second someone found the fève, it was chaos. The winner had to kiss someone, and in a room full of eight-year-olds, that was about the most dramatic thing that could happen. People would scream, laugh, hide under desks. It was silly, but it was something everyone looked forward to. It made January feel less gray.”
Analysis:
Fête des Rois is a form of religious calendar custom celebrated on January 6, tied to Christian Epiphany, marking the arrival of the Three Wise Men (Les Rois Mages) to visit the newborn Jesus. The tradition of the galette des rois with a hidden fève (originally a bean, now often a porcelain figurine) is a blend of symbolic folklore and ritual foodways. Its transmission is both domestic (within families) and institutional (through schools and bakeries), making it a hybrid of private and public tradition.
The custom of crowning a “king” or “queen” and engaging in playful rituals like kissing someone at the table represents performance and participatory folklore, especially powerful among children where the act becomes a rite of social play. Though rooted in religious narrative, the modern version often emphasizes community, chance, and lighthearted social interaction over doctrine. Its survival in French and Francophone cultures is supported by oral tradition, seasonal food marketing, and educational reinforcement, making it a strong example of enduring cultural folklore with evolving forms.