A day of family celebration, Epiphany is an opportunity to enjoy a delicious frangipane pancake and to designate a king or queen for a day. This custom has existed for centuries, but do you really know where it comes from? Here’s everything you need to know about Three Kings Day.
When the New Year celebrations end, theEpiphany takes over. This Christian festival happily brings together the whole family around the traditional king cake. Classic frangipane or more creative version, this sweet pleasure is accompanied by rituals that span time. Here is the essential thing to know about Epiphany and its traditions.
When is Epiphany in 2026?
Epiphany takes place every year on January 6, twelve days after Christmas. In 2026, this Christian holiday falls on a Tuesday. But it is common to celebrate it with the family the following Sunday. Religious services marking Epiphany are often held on this day as well. And, in France, the tradition of drawing kings generally extends throughout the first half of January.
What is the origin of Epiphany?
The origin of Epiphany dates back to the 4th century. At the time, this festival was established by the Church to commemorate the visit of the Three Wise Men after the birth of the child Jesus. Melchior, Gaspard and Balthazar, coming from the East, would have followed a star to Bethlehem, arriving twelve days after his birth to offer him gifts. According to the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Melchior brought gold, a symbol of Jesus’ kingship. Gaspard offered incense, recognizing its divinity. Finally, Balthazar gave him myrrh, a resin used for embalming, foreshadowing his death. Furthermore, the word Epiphany, taken from the Latin Epiphania, means “appearance”. In the New Testament, it evokes the manifestation of Christ on Earth and the announcement of his reign.
Why do we eat a king cake on Epiphany?
During Epiphany, the main tradition is to enjoy a galette des rois and to crown a king or queen: the one who draws the bean. But why this cake? The story dates back to Roman times during Saturnalia, a seven-day festival marking the winter solstice and honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans then shared a round, golden cake, symbol of the sun, to celebrate this period. Already at that time, a bean was slipped into the cake. Whoever found it was designated “king or queen of Saturnalia”. It is from this custom that the current tradition of drawing kings while savoring the cake was born.
Our craft activities for children at Epiphany
In addition to drawing the king and queen that day, children can also have fun making a pretty crown out of paper or cardboard that will be worn proudly, or coloring in. If this is the case for your children, you have come to the right place, here are our crown models to print and make yourself, as well as all our tutorials on this theme.
What is the origin of the bean?
In Roman times, each pancake contained a bean. The person who won the latter was crowned as king or queen of the evening. While the bean inserted into the dessert was initially a legume (the fava bean), it was later replaced by a gold coin, and then by a porcelain bean in the 19th century. Even today, a bean is put in the pancakes and the person who finds it in their share becomes king or queen and puts on their crown (made of paper).
