It was in the 13th century that the tradition of sharing the King’s cake and the bean began during Epiphany. From then on, the cake was shared with all the guests, and an extra slice was added, called the “poor man’s share”. It was intended for the first poor person who showed up.
The cake is round and golden, reminiscent of the sun and thus the worship of Saturnalia. The festivities lasted a whole week, during which it was customary to offer cakes to one’s surroundings and excesses were allowed.
It was in the Middle Ages that this tradition became that of the “king’s cake”. For some, the name would come from the dues that had to be paid to one’s lord at the same time. A due generally accompanied by a cake itself.
The bean predates the cake since it also dates back to the Roman Empire. Indeed, in ancient Rome, it was customary to draw lots for the king of a feast using a black or white token. It is also said that a king was designated in this way among the soldiers of a garrison or in a family during Saturnalia and that he could, for a day, fulfill all his desires and order whatever he pleased. A legend also reports another origin of the bean: the legend of Donkeyskin, inspired by the tale of Charles Perrault. It was by forgetting her ring in a cake intended for the prince that Donkeyskin would have inspired this strange custom.
Finally, the tradition of sending the youngest of the guests under the table to designate to whom each piece of the cake belongs is said to have arrived at the same time. During Saturnalia, the head of the household would indeed ask the youngest member of the family, supposed to be the most innocent, to designate to which guest he should distribute the piece he held in his hand. The child is usually nicknamed Phébé (for “Phoebus” or “Apollo”), in reference to an oracle of Apollo.
