King cake is eaten on January 6 in honor of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, which historically marks the arrival of the three wise men/kings in Bethlehem who delivered gifts to the baby Jesus.

While there’s a long history of hiding trinkets inside king cakes, the modern tradition of a small plastic baby started in New Orleans. A commercial bakery called McKenzie's popularized the baby ...

Today, you’re likely to find a plastic baby in your cake, but since tiny dolls weren’t always widely available, coins and beans have made appearances inside the cakes as well.