In the seventeenth century, during celebrations of the
Epiphany, our ancestors loved to celebrate a ritual
that was to take place as well: as soon as the bean,
the cake, had designated the "king", it had to get up
and drink his glass. At this time all the guests had to
exclaim: "The king drinks! . "He who does not bow to
such use, was soon smeared with black. We might think
that this masquerade was made to mimic the monarch of
France. But it was not, the legend goes back, it seems,
much further ...(+)
In the seventeenth century, during celebrations of the
Epiphany, our ancestors loved to celebrate a ritual
that was to take place as well: as soon as the bean,
the cake, had designated the "king", it had to get up
and drink his glass. At this time all the guests had to
exclaim: "The king drinks! . "He who does not bow to
such use, was soon smeared with black. We might think
that this masquerade was made to mimic the monarch of
France. But it was not, the legend goes back, it seems,
much further in time. It drew its source at the time
when the three wise men, were presented to the Child
Jesus who was suckling its mother. One of these kings,
would have turned to the other two, exclaiming: "The
king drinks! ".