366 Celebrations, Happy Twelfth Night!
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me twelve Lords a-leaping, eleven Ladies dancing, ten pipers piping, nine drummers drumming, eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, five gold rings (not actually rings of the elemental symbol Au, check out the link), four colly birds, three French hens, two turtledoves and a partridge on a pear tree.
Get out the wassail and start baking those king cakes, it's Twelfth Night! The last celebration of Christmastime before the Epiphany, Twelfth Night celebrations date back to Medieval times where they signified the end of the winter festival that began on All Hallows' Eve. On the Twelfth Night, disorder and unreason are celebrated in the tradition of the Lord of Misrule, and the ruling family would take their place as peasants while the poor would pretend to be of a higher class. The ruler of the feast of Twelfth Night was determined by hiding away a bean inside a cake. The person who located the bean would be honorary King until midnight.
In American tradition, "King Cakes" are baked, sold, and consumed from the Twelfth Night until Shrove Tuesday (also known as Mardi Gras). It's association with religious holidays have been furthered by replacing the bean inside the cake with a small, plastic baby, a representation of the baby Jesus. It is often tradition for the person finding the baby to purchase the next King Cake or to prepare the party at which the cake was served for the following year.
The nice girl at the checkout counter was confused when she saw the King Cake. As the box points out that it's a Mardi Gras confection, she was quick to note that it was not yet Mardi Gras. I was happy to be able to educate someone on the tradition of the King Cake while people behind me were waiting to pay for their Bud Light and Doritos. Tradition before blind revelry, folks.
Mmmmmm... doesn't that look... sugary? And slightly burned? My favorite.
Courtesy of our litigious friends we so lovingly call "Americans," this warning cautions the eater that their baby Jesus cake has a little baby Jesus in it. This warning should cover the company's ass from anyone who tries to sue them over the plastic baby. Well, anyone except Atheists petitioning for the separation of Church and Cake.
Get out the wassail and start baking those king cakes, it's Twelfth Night! The last celebration of Christmastime before the Epiphany, Twelfth Night celebrations date back to Medieval times where they signified the end of the winter festival that began on All Hallows' Eve. On the Twelfth Night, disorder and unreason are celebrated in the tradition of the Lord of Misrule, and the ruling family would take their place as peasants while the poor would pretend to be of a higher class. The ruler of the feast of Twelfth Night was determined by hiding away a bean inside a cake. The person who located the bean would be honorary King until midnight.
In American tradition, "King Cakes" are baked, sold, and consumed from the Twelfth Night until Shrove Tuesday (also known as Mardi Gras). It's association with religious holidays have been furthered by replacing the bean inside the cake with a small, plastic baby, a representation of the baby Jesus. It is often tradition for the person finding the baby to purchase the next King Cake or to prepare the party at which the cake was served for the following year.
The nice girl at the checkout counter was confused when she saw the King Cake. As the box points out that it's a Mardi Gras confection, she was quick to note that it was not yet Mardi Gras. I was happy to be able to educate someone on the tradition of the King Cake while people behind me were waiting to pay for their Bud Light and Doritos. Tradition before blind revelry, folks.
Mmmmmm... doesn't that look... sugary? And slightly burned? My favorite.
Courtesy of our litigious friends we so lovingly call "Americans," this warning cautions the eater that their baby Jesus cake has a little baby Jesus in it. This warning should cover the company's ass from anyone who tries to sue them over the plastic baby. Well, anyone except Atheists petitioning for the separation of Church and Cake.