King Cake in Spanish-speaking Countries
The roscón de reyes in Spain or rosca de reyes in Spanish America is traditionally eaten on January 6, during the celebration of the Día de Reyes (literally "Kings' Day"). In most of Spain, Mexico and sometimes Hispanic communities in the United States, this is the day when children get presents from the Three Wise Men (not Santa Claus). In Mexico children leave a shoe outside, filled with hay or dried grass for the animals the Kings ride, along with a note, before they go to bed. The Mexican rosca de reyes has an oval shape to symbolize a crown. For decoration, Spanish people use dried and candied fruits like figs, quinces or cherries. The fruit symbolizes the many jewels that a crown would have.
The tradition of placing a bean, candy or figurine doll of the Christ Child inside the cake is followed. Whoever finds it must take it to the nearest church on February 2, Candlemas Day (Día de la Candelaria), which celebrates the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. According to the Jewish tradition, an infant was to be presented to God in the Temple forty days after his birth. The use of candles on Candlemas represents the light of Christ presented to the world. Nowadays in Mexico, people who find the figurines in their piece of the cake usually agree to host a party on February 2 and to provide the guests with tamales and atole.
In Argentina, the tradition of consuming rosca on January 6 is also followed, although no figurine is included. In addition, a similar version with whole cooked eggs on top of the cake is also served on Easter as rosca de Pascua.
In some places, the rosca de reyes is replaced by panettone.
Read more about this topic: King Cake
Famous quotes containing the words king, cake and/or countries:
“Those banners come to bribe or threaten
Or whisper that a man’s a fool
Who when his own right king’s forgotten
Cares what king sets up his rule.
If he died long ago
Why do you dread us so?”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“Many people will say to working mothers, in effect, “I don’t think you can have it all.” The phrase for “have it all” is code for “have your cake and eat it too.” What these people really mean is that achievement in the workplace has always come at a price—usually a significant personal price; conversely, women who stayed home with their children were seen as having sacrificed a great deal of their own ambition for their families.”
—Anne C. Weisberg (20th century)
“Fame sometimes hath created something out of nothing. She hath made whole countries more than nature ever did, especially near the poles, and then hath peopled them likewise with inhabitants of her own invention, pigmies, giants, and amazons: yea, fame is sometimes like unto a mushroom, which Pliny recounts to be the greatest miracle in nature, because growing and having no root, as fame no ground of her reports.”
—Thomas Fuller (1608–1661)