Although Epiphany has lost many of its religious connotations in modern-day Belgium, many people still celebrate the day – known as Driekoningen in Dutch and la fête des Rois in French – with cherished traditions.
The Christian festival of Epiphany marks the day the three kings Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar visited the manger of baby Jesus in Bethlehem.
Unlike Austria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland, Ethiopia, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, Spain and Uruguay, 6 January is not a public holiday in Belgium. Businesses, transport and administrative services will therefore be operating as usual. Festivities aren't as resplendent as in countries such as Spain, which holds huge annual parades, but Belgium has its own way of celebrating the end of the Christmas season.
Children in Belgium celebrate Epiphany by dressing up as the three wise men. They go from door to door singing songs and people give them money or sweets in return, similarly to Halloween.
The 'Marolle' choir from Kruishoutem, dressed as 'The three kings' on Saturday 5 January 2019 to raise money to sponsor the annual Christmas lights in the city. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
On 6 January, Belgians also eat a galette des rois or Koningscake, a puff pastry tart with an almond filling which is also popular in France. Inside the tart is a tiny hidden figurine called a fève (bean).
The youngest person in the family or friendship group typically sits under the table and calls out which slice should go to which person. Whoever finds the fève in their slice becomes king or queen for the day and wears a gold paper crown.
When in Rome
The galette des rois tradition allegedly dates back to Ancient Rome.
During the Roman winter solstice celebrations (the Saturnalia), it was customary "to cast lots for royalty," as the Roman historian Tacitus explains in his book Annals. Great banquets were organised between the end of December and beginning of January to bring families together.
A real bean was hidden in a cake as it was the first vegetable to grow after winter and a symbol of fertility. Whoever found it was crowned 'king for a day' and could grant all his wishes for a day before returning to normal life.
In the Middle Ages, the 'king' was said to have had to pay for a round of drinks. To prevent cheating, the edible bean was replaced by a porcelain one.
Hidden treasure
Nowadays, bakeries are getting increasingly creative with the treats they put in their tarts. As in previous years, Brussels-based bakery De Weerdt is once again hiding 18-carat gold coins in its pastries.
"Like every year, we are offering you the chance to win two gold coins worth €250 to be hidden in one of our delicious galettes des rois, one on 5 January and one on 6 January," the bakery said on social media.
Pastry Chef Luc standing in his bakery. Credit: De Weerdt
La Boule – also in Saint-Gilles – is using fèves in the shape of a fried egg this year. Whoever finds the hidden 'double yolker' can claim a free clay creation from Belgian potter Laurène Marcant.
Best in Brussels
This year, a competition was held to find the best galette des rois in the Belgian capital – the first of its kind.
A total of 14 pastry chefs were in the running, and their creations were tasted blind behind closed doors on 15 December by a panel of nine judges. Scores were based on the appearance, filling, puffiness and flavour of the tarts, as well as the sustainability of ingredients used.
Boulengier, an artisanal bakery based in Saint-Gilles, was crowned the winner. Hermine in Ixelles claimed second place and Fiston in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert completed the top three.
Popularity pushing up production
The growing popularity of the festival is reflected in a marked increase in production. "Ten years ago, just a few dozen galettes were produced by traditional bakeries; today, some bakers produce hundreds every year," said Albert Denoncin, President of the federation which represents French-speaking bakers and pastry-makers in Belgium.
Anderlecht's football team enjoy a galette des rois in Charleroi Airport as they leave for Murcia, Spain, for their winter training, Wednesday 6 January 2010. Credit: Belga / Eric Lalmand
On the industrial side, numbers can even exceed hundreds of thousands. Supermarket chain Delhaize, for example, is expecting to sell 200,000 galettes. "In the past, bakers took a break after New Year's Eve, but now it's after Epiphany," Denoncin said.
The increase in production is welcomed by bakers, however, as the period between Epiphany and Valentine's Day is particularly quiet.
