Étranger Things: The (Not-Quite) 12 Days of Christmas in France — Epiphany, galettes, and why everyone is suddenly under the table

Do the French have 12 days of Christmas?

If you grew up with carols promising “five gooolden riiiings,” you might expect France to count down twelve tidy days of partridges and pear trees. Reality check: in France, the spotlight is less on a daily “12-day” ritual and more on Epiphany—La Fête des Rois—on or around 6 January. That day marks the visit of the Magi and, crucially, the national permission slip to eat your body weight in galette des rois (or brioche des rois in the South). Think of it as the grand finale of Christmastide rather than a daily mini-festival. (National Geographic)

What the French “12 days” really look like

• #1: France absolutely recognizes the season from Christmas to Epiphany—those famous Twelve Days end on 6 January (Epiphany). But most people don’t name each day or attach set customs to day 2, 3, 4, etc. The real communal ritual is Epiphany itself. (National Geographic)

• #2: In practice, bakeries explode with galettes from late December through all of January (sometimes every weekend) because…why limit happiness to one day? Offices and classrooms “tirent les rois” (pick the king/queen) repeatedly, because equality. And pastry. (La Ramoneta)

Epiphany 101 (What happens on 6 January)

• The story: Epiphany celebrates the Magi arriving with gifts for baby Jesus; many families only place the Wise Men at the crib on this date (some move them closer each day—cute!). (French Moments)

• The cake(s):

  • In most of France: galette des rois—flaky puff pastry with frangipane (almond cream). (Epicurious)

  • In Provence & much of the South: brioche/couronne des rois—an orange-blossom scented crown dotted with candied fruit and pearl sugar. (It’s sunshine in carbohydrate form.) (Lets Eat The World)

• The fève: a tiny charm hidden inside (originally a bean; now often a collectible porcelain figure). Whoever finds it gets crowned king/queen for the day and chooses their “royal” partner. The youngest person hides under the table and calls out names to assign slices fairly—a tradition kids adore. Some families still cut one extra slice, la part du pauvre, for an unexpected guest. (Mary Anne's France)

• The origin story: The “king for a day” idea likely echoes Roman Saturnalia before Christians adapted it to Epiphany. (History: never not messy.) (The Connexion)

Provence extras (because we’re in Aix)

Down here, Christmas is a long arc called la Calendale—from Sainte-Barbe (4 Dec) all the way to Chandeleur (2 Feb). That means crèche scenes with santons (little clay villagers) keep evolving after Christmas, and yes, you can still be talking about nativity figurines well into February without anyone blinking. Also, the famed “13 desserts” are a Christmas Eve thing—delightful, but separate from Epiphany. (France Today)

Wait—so do the French celebrate “the Twelve Days of Christmas”?

Short answer: Theologically, yes—the season runs through Epiphany. Culturally, most French folks don’t treat each of the twelve days as mini-holidays. The big shared custom is Epiphany and the galette/brioche—often repeated throughout January because every school, office, club, and grandma wants a turn. Call it a joyful, pastry-based end to the season rather than a day-by-day countdown. (Rick Steves)

Regional pastry cheat-sheet

• North/Île-de-France & much of the country: Galette feuilletée à la frangipane. (Some variations: apple, chocolate, pistachio—but almond is classic.) (Epicurious)

• Provence & the Mediterranean arc: Brioche/couronne des rois with candied fruits and fleur d’oranger. (It looks like a jewel-studded crown.) (Lets Eat The World)

How to host your own tirage des rois (Aix-approved)

1. Buy (or bake) your cake—galette or brioche—plus a paper crown. (Boulangeries include the crown; home bakers tuck in a fève.) (French Moments)

2. Place the fève (if you’re baking) and cut equal slices, plus one extra for la part du pauvre. (La Route des Gourmets)

3. Have the youngest guest slide under the table and call out who gets each slice. (Yes, adults really do this. Yes, it’s adorable.) (French Moments)

4. Whoever finds the fève wears the crown and picks their royal consort. (Cue photos. And gloating.) (Mary Anne's France)

5. Repeat next weekend because January is long and carbohydrates are comforting. (Paul)

Vocabulary & mini-scripts (use at the boulangerie)

• La galette des rois / la brioche des rois — the Epiphany cake / brioche

• La fève — the hidden charm/bean

• La couronne — the paper crown

• Tirer les rois — to “draw the kings” (pick the king/queen)

• Script (A1/A2):

  • Bonjour ! Vous avez des galettes des rois aujourd’hui ?

  • Plutôt frangipane ou brioche ?

  • Je prends une brioche pour 6 personnes, s’il vous plaît. Vous avez la fève et la couronne ?

• Script (B1/B2):

  • On organise un tirage des rois au bureau. Vous conseillez quelle taille pour huit personnes ?

  • Est-ce que vous faites une version sans fruits confits / sans gluten ?

• Script (C1+):

  • Je cherche une brioche bien parfumée à la fleur d’oranger, style provençal. Et si vous avez des fèves “collection 2025”, je prends !

Collecting fèves: a very real rabbit hole

There are fève collectors (fabophiles) who trade and display full sets—cartoons, historical figures, saints, you name it. If you feel a sudden urge to buy protective display cases in January…bienvenue au club. (Don’t say we didn’t warn you.) (Mary Anne's France)

Deep-dive links (to keep your inner nerd happy)

• Epiphany & the Magi in France; moving the Wise Men figurines. (French Moments)

• What, exactly, are the Twelve Days (and why Epiphany ends them). (Wikipedia)

• Galette origins (Saturnalia → Epiphany), fève history, and modern takes. (The Connexion)

• South vs North: brioche/couronne vs frangipane galette. (Lets Eat The World)

• Provence’s longer season (La Calendale) & those 13 desserts (for Christmas Eve). (France Today)

A curated Aix-side note

Because we’re Team Provence, you’ll see brioche des rois everywhere in January—often fragrant with fleur d’oranger and topped with candied fruits from Apt (the local capital of confiserie). If you’re new here, try both styles (galette and brioche). For science.

Study tips by level

• A1: Learn the key nouns (galette, brioche, fève, couronne) + the tirer les rois phrase. Practice the boulangerie script above.

• A2: Describe your Epiphany: Qui a trouvé la fève ? Qui a été le roi/la reine ? Use past tenses with time markers (hier, le week-end dernier).

• B1: Compare regional traditions: En Provence, on préfère la brioche, tandis que… Add connectors (cependant, en revanche).

• B2: Debate tradition vs. modern variations (pistachio, chocolate, gluten-free): Innovation culinaire ou sacrilège ?

• C1/C2: Write a short column on the social glue of January galettes at work/school and how “la part du pauvre” echoes hospitality norms.

In Epiphany

France doesn’t “do” a daily Twelve Days calendar. Instead, the season culminates in Epiphany with galettes/brioche and the joyful, slightly chaotic ritual of crowning a king or queen (often multiple times) throughout January. If you hear giggling from under a table in Aix, it’s not poltergeists—it’s the slice-caller doing their royal duty. (National Geographic)

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Your turn — on papote :
Which team are you—Galette (frangipane) or Brioche (fleur d’oranger + fruits confits)? Did you ever chip a tooth on a fève? Share your Epiphany plans, your favorite boulangeries in Aix, and—important—who got the crown this year. And if you’re learning French, post your best boulangerie script (A1 to C2) in the comments so others can practice too.