Roscon de Reyes. Los Reyes Magos (Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day)

Roscon de Reyes. Los Reyes Magos (Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day)

In Spain the great holiday of Epiphany (Los Reyes Magos) is celebrated on the 5 January. While the children are waiting for the sweets, adults happily eat the traditional treat called “Roscon de Reyes”.
Spanish “Roscon de Reyes” is a cake, made of yeast dough and decorated with fruits, candied fruits or nuts that remind of the jewels in the crown. A special surprise is a bean inside the cake. The lucky person who find it will be the master in the house for the whole day!
The tradition of baking “Roscon” was inherited from the ancient Romans who celebrated such holiday as “Saturnalia” – the day of worship to Saturn, the patron of harvest. Even then, “Roscon” was decorated with different fruits, and a small bean was put inside. However, at that time the delicacy wasn’t divided between the family members, but given out to everybody in the street.
Happy and sweet Christmas in Madrid!