By Natalie Hand
Three Kings Day, also known as Epiphany, celebrates the day the Wise Men visited baby Jesus bearing gifts. It is celebrated on January 6, 12 days after Christmas. Epiphany was originally the name of a pagan holiday on December 21, the winter solstice, which celebrated the return of light after the longest night of the year. Many traditions from the two celebrations have melded together. To celebrate in France, traditions include eating galette des rois, a special flakey cake, and gathering with family. The galette des rois is a round cake, to represent the return of the sun, made of layers of puff pastry and filled with almond filling. Commonly, a charm or bean, la feve, is hidden inside the galette des rois to symbolize the gifts brought by the Wise Men. The cake is cut by the youngest member of the family, and whoever receives the slice of cake with the figure inside becomes the king or queen for the day, a tradition that originated in the 14th century.