What does Mardi Gras have to do with babies?

The person who hosts the Mardi Gras party buys or makes the king cake, and since whoever finds the baby is said to be prosperous in the coming year, they take on the responsibility of providing the king cake for the next year.

What does it mean when you find the baby in a Mardi Gras cake?

“There is traditionally a baby hidden inside the cake,” said Swift. “When the cake is sliced and served whoever gets the baby is declared king for the day. They also are responsible for hosting next year’s Fat Tuesday party and bringing the King Cake!”

How do they put the baby in the king cake?

It’s a Mardi Gras tradition! Use a small plastic baby and add it into your King Cake during the braiding portion. The dough will rise around the baby and secure it into the cake. You can buy King Cake specific babies on Amazon.

What is the purpose of a King Cake?

King cake is eaten on January 6 in honor of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, which historically marks the arrival of the three wise men/kings in Bethlehem who delivered gifts to the baby Jesus. (The plastic baby hidden inside king cakes today is a nod to this story.)

What happens if you find the baby in the Rosca?

The Rosca itself symbolizes the King’s crown, the dried fruit symbolizes jewels, while the plastic baby symbolizes Jesus in hiding. If you find the plastic figure, you’re a symbolic godparent and must sponsor a tamalada celebration on February 2nd, or Día de la Candelaria.

What happens when you get the baby in Rosca de Reyes?

Tradition calls for a small plastic infant figure to be placed inside the rosca de reyes to represent baby Jesus, hidden from King Herod’s troops. Whoever ends up with the baby Jesus figurine in their slice of cake, in many cases, is obligated to make food for the others. Usually, tamales.

How many babies are in the Rosca de Reyes?

three
Along with enjoying a delicious sweet bread, we always anticipated who would be the “lucky” ones to get baby Jesus in their rosca as Mexican bakeries usually add at least three plastic baby Jesus figurines baked into the bread.

How do you hide the baby in a king cake?

If you want to hide a toy baby—or another object, like a trinket, coin or dried bean—wait until after the cake is baked and cooled. Otherwise, the object could melt and ooze into your cake. Insert the baby from the bottom of the cake so that people won’t be able to see where it is.

What is the purpose of a king cake?

King Cakes are oval-shaped to symbolize the unity of faiths. Each cake is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors – purple representing justice, green representing faith, and gold representing power. A small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is traditionally hidden inside each King Cake.