La galette des Rois : January 17, 2006

The Epiphany pie (or la galette des rois) was shared on Saturday afternoon at Terwilleger Lodge. Many children came, they love this event!

groupe galette

The "galettes" are phyllo dough pies filled with a soft almond filling. They were delicious! The children loved the various creative activities and enjoyed the pie.

dessin galette

Of course, a few were lucky enough to find the "fève" in the pie. This is a little token made of plastic or sometimes china that is hidden in the pie. Those who found the fève were then crowned king or queen for the rest of the afternoon.

la feve

couronne galette

A little bit of history about la galette des Rois:

The Epiphany is celebrated on January 6th. It reminds us of the 3 Wise Men visiting baby Jesus.

The 3 Wise Men: They came from the East. The 3 Wise Men started their way following the glow of a star that led them to Bethlehem. They discovered baby Jesus in a manger next to his parents Mary and Joseph. The Wise Men knelt before Jesus to show him respect and offered him gold, frankincense and myrrh. The origin of the 3 wise men has not been established. They are believed to be kings or astrologers, rich but travelers without a home. Those mysterious men are part of the many tales about Christmas.

The galette des rois: Early on, the arrival of the 3 Wise Men was considered of the greatest importance by the Church. The galette des rois, a pie served solely for this occasion, is a typically French tradition. The pie was shared in as many slices as there were guests, plus an extra one. This additional slice was to be offered to the first poor person who would come to the house. The little token (or fève) hidden in the pie dates back to Roman times. Beans (= fève in French) were used as a means to vote: a white bean or a black bean was thrown into the ballot box. The Romans would elect the King of the feast, using beans, at the beginning of January for some specific celebrations (the "Saturnales"). This religious tradition turned into a family tradition where everybody gathers around the pie. Whoever finds the token is crowned king... and chooses his queen.

Epiphany remained more important than Christmas Day for a long time.

Main Page	En français La galette des Rois : January 17, 2006 The Epiphany pie (or la galette des rois) was shared on Saturday afternoon at Terwilleger Lodge. Many children came, they love this event! The "galettes" are phyllo dough pies filled with a soft almond filling. They were delicious! The children loved the various creative activities and enjoyed the pie. Of course, a few were lucky enough to find the "fève" in the pie. This is a little token made of plastic or sometimes china that is hidden in the pie. Those who found the fève were then crowned king or queen for the rest of the afternoon. A little bit of history about la galette des Rois: The Epiphany is celebrated on January 6th. It reminds us of the 3 Wise Men visiting baby Jesus. The 3 Wise Men: They came from the East. The 3 Wise Men started their way following the glow of a star that led them to Bethlehem. They discovered baby Jesus in a manger next to his parents Mary and Joseph. The Wise Men knelt before Jesus to show him respect and offered him gold, frankincense and myrrh. The origin of the 3 wise men has not been established. They are believed to be kings or astrologers, rich but travelers without a home. Those mysterious men are part of the many tales about Christmas. The galette des rois: Early on, the arrival of the 3 Wise Men was considered of the greatest importance by the Church. The galette des rois, a pie served solely for this occasion, is a typically French tradition. The pie was shared in as many slices as there were guests, plus an extra one. This additional slice was to be offered to the first poor person who would come to the house. The little token (or fève) hidden in the pie dates back to Roman times. Beans (= fève in French) were used as a means to vote: a white bean or a black bean was thrown into the ballot box. The Romans would elect the King of the feast, using beans, at the beginning of January for some specific celebrations (the "Saturnales"). This religious tradition turned into a family tradition where everybody gathers around the pie. Whoever finds the token is crowned king... and chooses his queen. Epiphany remained more important than Christmas Day for a long time.