NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The season of Mardi Gras 2016 began Wednesday, January 6.
That’s the day of Epiphany. Epiphany comes from a Greek word that means “to show.”
In Christian history, it’s the day Jesus first showed himself to the three wise men. It’s also called the Twelfth Night. That’s because the day is twelve nights after the birth of Jesus on Christmas Day.
The celebration begins and continues with the tradition of the king cake.
In New Orleans, Baker Maid has been baking and making King Cakes for half a century.
WGNO News with a Twist features reporter Wild Bill Wood takes you inside the bakery for the busiest time of the year.
The king cake is a round cake. It’s a cross between a coffee cake and French pastry. In fact, the history of the cake goes back to France where it came from in 1870.
The king cake is as rich in colors as it is in flavor. The colors are purple, green and gold.
Purple is for justice, green is for faith and gold is for power.
Inside every cake is a tiny, plastic Baby Jesus. Whoever gets the slice of cake with the baby is lucky enough to have the honor of buying the next king cake for the next Mardi Gras celebration.
Ever wonder whose job it is to put the Baby Jesus in the cake? Click the video above to find the answer.