Three Kings Day foods in the Skylands

In Mexico, whoever finds the figure in the rosca de reyes owes everyone tamales and atole on February 2, Candlemas, and some would rather not. El Financiero reports finders slipping it into a pocket or their mouth and, in extreme cases, eating it. The figure stands for the infant Jesus, hidden from Herod.

Before the doll there was a bean, which crowned a king for the day, and in the Middle Ages that king was said to owe the room a round of drinks. In France tradition sends the youngest under the table to call out who gets each slice of galette, and a medieval extra slice was held for the first poor person at the door. During the Revolution the figure inside was swapped for a liberty cap.

Portugal’s bolo-rei came from France through Lisbon’s Confeitaria Nacional in the 1870s. After the republic arrived in 1910, “king” was a problem, and the shop sold it as the national cake. Armenians keep Christmas on January 6, with anoushabour, a pudding of grains, fruit and nuts. Wassail, hot spiced cider or ale, belongs to the night before, and its name comes from an old greeting meaning be in good health.