Let’s start at the beginning… And to start at the beginning we have to go back to the year 27 BC, when Rome began to develop its Empire. The Romans brought with them a very special tradition, the oldest, most massive and popular pagan festival: The Saturnalia Festival, in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture and crops. Here is the true origin of the Christmas holidays as we know them today. And it is that to talk about the origin of the Roscón de Reyes, we have to deal with it before Christmas.
Origin of Roscón de Reyes
- These tremendous festivities, the most important social event of the year, were held coinciding with the winter solstice. They began in the middle of December, on the 17th, and ended on December 25, coinciding with ‘the birth of the Sun’. But it was also celebrated coinciding with the end of the field tasks. The Romans then began a few days of rest in which everything became ‘the world upside down’.
- A real ‘world upside down’. To begin with, the roles were exchanged as follows: the slaves acted as masters – their masters even let them wear their clothes – and the masters… well, they tried to act as slaves. The important thing is that the slaves had a few days of freedom, they went out into the streets, sang, danced and, as we do today, they took advantage of those idle moments to meet their families and friends and exchange gifts.
Evolution of the Roscón de Reyes: A broad bean decides the fate of a family
- Those of slaves and masters were not the only roles that were exchanged, it was also done between parents and children. The little ones became ‘the heads of the house’. But in the meantime, a ‘King of the Saturnalia’ had to be chosen. How to do it? This is where the predecessor of our roscón de Reyes came into play.
- So more than a roscón they were circular cakes that were sweetened with honey and accompanied by figs and dates. A bean was hidden inside, and whoever found it became the King! Today, so many centuries later, the tradition continues, although in a somewhat different way: whoever finds that bean in the Roscón de Reyes has to invite. The tradition of the bean seems to have been gradually lost, now the surprises are made of ceramic and are usually related to good luck. Although there are places where they continue to introduce both beans and surprises in the roscón. Luck for whoever finds the surprise and whoever finds the bean pays.
- We cannot really start talking about a roscón, what is called a roscón, until the 4th century, when the Church institutionalized the festivity of the Three Kings and what became Christmas in general. In the year 321, the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity, and decided that the day of the ‘birth of the sun’ should be considered the day of the birth of Christ. The traditions, now called Christmas, among which was the distribution of sweets with a bean inside, spread rapidly throughout Europe. And that of the roscón, especially in France.
- This roscón, called there ‘gateau de la five’ (broad bean cake), arrived in Spain at the hands of Felipe V, who decided to import the tradition from the country of love. We were then in the eighteenth century. As you can see, the tradition of the roscón in Spain is not that old, although its origin is millenary. But despite everything we have managed to make the roscón de Reyes something very much ours…
The Three Wise Men and the roscón, tradition in Spain
- So ours, that today the roscón de Reyes is spoken of as a typical Spanish product, which has been exported to other Latin American countries. And it is that really, this visit in which these three magical characters bring gifts to children, is not usual in almost any country in the world. So having the Roscón de Reyes for breakfast on the morning of the 6th is even less so.
- And we have also made it our own because of its shape and ingredients: a sweet round-shaped bun, emulating a crown that replaces the precious stones with candied fruit of multiple colors, and with a flavor and aroma that only the star ingredient can give it. of the Roscón de Reyes: orange blossom water.