Every year on January 6th in Madeira, we celebrate “Dia de Reis” (English: “King’s Day”). According to tradition, it’s to celebrate the day when the newborn baby Jesus, the Saviour, the Messiah, receives the visit of the 3 Wise Men from the East.
The night before, Madeiran families usually gather together with friends and neighbours, who go out and sing traditional songs door to door.
“Bolo Rei” (English: “King Cake”) is a traditional Portuguese cake that is usually eaten around Christmas, from December 25th until Epiphany, on the 6th January. The cake itself is round with a large hole in the centre, resembling a crown covered with crystallized and dried fruit. It is baked from a soft, white dough, and in some of these cakes there is the characteristic dried “fava” (broad) bean or small Wise Man figurine. Tradition dictates that whoever finds the fava bean or the Wise Man figurine, must pay for next year’s cake!
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