www.montereycountynow.com JANUARY 2-8, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 25 CULTURE January 6 marks the end of the long holiday season. It’s time to take down the tree and decorations. But it’s also a day for one last celebration. Many Christian cultures celebrate the biblical Three Wise Men with an Epiphany feast. In Mexico, this religious celebration involves sharing a cake, or Rosca de Reyes, with family and friends. The person who gets el niño, a plastic white figurine, is the one who pays for tamales or a party on Candlemas Day, Feb. 2. Finding it symbolizes prosperity and good luck for the upcoming year. Traditions vary across cultures with symbols that originated in Christianity and the story of the Magi. In some, children leave shoes at the door. In others, people splash water on each other, inscribe names in chalk, sing or use the occasion as an excuse to start the carnival season. One common theme is cake. “I always thought that La Rosca de Reyes, since all the young kids are playing with their toys, was for the adults,” recalls Raul Rodriguez, one of the owners of La Plaza Bakery. “They have something to do, something to celebrate.” For over 40 years La Plaza Bakery, a family-owned business, has made and sold roscas in the Salinas Valley. The cakes are in the form of a crown. The candied fruit represents the Magi’s jewels, while the hidden figure carries different blessings, depending on the culture. “It’s a really nice, unique, beautiful tradition,” Rodriguez says. Preparing for the influx of roscas takes time and logistics. In December, planning comes into play from bringing on an additional baker and working 12-hour shifts. Rodriguez says making the cakes is a delicate and time-consuming process that requires additional work on top of the everyday production. But it is also an art. “It’s a special cake, you don’t do it every day, and you’re working with long pieces of dough,” he says. At La Plaza Bakery, they use their sweet dough, the same they use to make the traditional conchas, for the roscas. They are filled with sliced apples, walnuts and raisins. They sell about 400 cakes at the Greenfield location alone. Rodriguez grew up in the U.S., but he remembers spending the holidays as a kid in Mexico, where the association with the Magi was strong. “One of the adults—I don’t know who did it—put some footprints [and] horseshoes to make it more real,” he recalls. El niño, though, turned out to still be a toy. DANIEL DREIFUSS King for a Day With the holiday season coming to an end, bakeries prepare for one last tasty tradition. By Celia Jiménez The colorful Rosca de Reyes, or king cake, at La Plaza Bakery in Greenfield. The cake is central to a seasonal celebration in many cultures. ’24 Best Italian Restaurant FREE WIFI Dolce Mornings Sat & Sun 8am-2pm Featuring Captain + Stoker Coffee & Ad Astra Bakery Open Daily. Lunch 11:30-2pm. Dinner 5-9pm 831-324-4282 110 Central Ave, Pacific Grove www.ilvecchiorestaurant.com NEW YEAR, NEW AGREEMENTS Authentic Paths Presents: Living the 4 Agreements in Daily Life A 2-day experience— Applying ancient wisdom to modern life January 11-12, Monterey SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE: $187 Per-Person including a FREE copy of the Four Agreements book To learn more visit www.aupaths.com BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY DO NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST news talk insight a community service of CSU Monterey Bay Store CloSing 40% gifts for the Holidays [everything goes] The Garden Song 225 Forest Ave. Pacific Grove [across from Grove Market] 1-831-656-9771 11:30 - 4:30pm Tuesday through Sunday off Sale
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