Happy Three Kings Day!

Today is the Solemnity of the Epiphany which marks the end of Christmas for my family. Another Christmas season gone by... Tonight we will sing around the Christmas tree for the last time and tomorrow all the Christmas decorations will vanish. I am conveniently going out the door with the Christmas tree (which means I get out of clean-up) and will be heading back to the city tomorrow.

January 6th is still an important part of the Christmas season for my family since on this day that one lucky person gets to be crowned king or queen. Unfortunately, it wasn't me. The way it works is that we'll eat a small cake for breakfast and in the cake is hidden a bean. Whoever gets the piece with the bean gets to be the king or queen for the day and gets to order everyone around, choose their favourite food to eat, and plan the activities of the day. I was really hoping that I'd get the lucky piece since my car desperately needs to be washed, but no such luck. My sister was the lucky one this year.

According to my parents the tradition of the bean in the cake was much more exciting when we were younger and desperate to be crowned king or queen for the day we'd eat as fast as we could as much cake as we could in hopes of finding the piece with the bean. I've got to admit it's lost a bit of the thrill now that we're all grown up but it's still a nice tradition.

We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star.
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Melchior et Balthazar sont partis d'Afrique
Sont partis d'Afrique,
Melchior et Balthazar sont partis d'Afrique
Avec le roi Gaspard......
Ils sont tous les trois partis à la belle étoile
À la belle étoile
Ils sont tous les trois partis à la belle étoile
Qui les a conduits.
Les bergers les ont suivis, jouant de la flûte,
Jouant de la flûte,
Les bergers les ont suivis, jouant de la flûte
Menant leur brebis
Ils sont tous les trois venus, dedans une étable
Dedans une étable,
Ils sont tous les trois venus, dedans une étable
Qu'ils ont reconnue.