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I've got my customs mixed up!
But I hadn't heard about leaving the crèche up until Candlemas; I usually leave mine up until the octave of the Epiphany (since I don't put out the three kings until Epiphany, I feel like I have to give them a little face time ;-9). But considering Candlemas is formally known as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in commemoration of the Jewish practice that required a woman to remain in seclusion for a certain period after the birth of a child, it makes a certain amount of sense to acknowledge the reason for that season by leaving the crèche up.
Michael
by musing85 on Sun Dec 16, 2007 at 08:25:17 AM PDT
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On Three Kings Day, Mexicans eat a ring shaped yeast pastry studded with candied fruit called a rosca de reyes. One or more small ceramic, or more often now, plastic dolls is baked in the pastry. The person who gets the doll in their portion hosts a party on Candelaria. On Candelaria the baby Jesus is removed from the creche and taken to the church to be blessed. After church, the party goers return to the house for traditionally tamales and champurrado, although sometimes other foods are served. Most of my neighbors leave their Christmas lights up until Candelaria. I haven't put up lights for years because they are pretty much all made by slave labor in China, but I do enjoy looking at them....
by mariachi mama on Sun Dec 16, 2007 at 10:15:09 AM PDT
which came to the U.S. through New Orleans, though the gâteau des Rois (or the galette des Rois, depending on which part of France you're in) is not usually ring-shaped--more often log-shaped. I believe the Cajun tradition is for ring-shaped cakes, however.
In New Orleans, the custom is to have a king cake party on the Epiphany. Some families and organizations have a party every week from the Epiphany through Mardi Gras. In those instances, the one who finds the baby Jesus in his/her piece of the cake is not only the King or Queen of the party, s/he gives the next king cake party.
by musing85 on Sun Dec 16, 2007 at 10:52:02 AM PDT
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