How is King Cake Connected to Mardi Gras?

Today is Mardi Gras. And, even though the temperatures are currently below freezing in New Orleans, the parades will still roll. The two big ones today are Zulu and Rex.

Besides the parades, one of the things that people most associate with Mardi Gras is King Cake. Just a couple of weeks ago I received a question from a reader asking about the connection between King Cake and Mardi Gras.

I will be joining Lino Rulli, The Catholic Guy, again today on his radio show on The Catholic Channel on Sirius/XM radio. The live broadcast starts at 4:00 PM Central time and runs till 6:00 PM. I’m bringing more food for Lino to try, including King Cake!

I also want to talk about your answers to this question on the show. So, what do you think?

How Would You Answer this Question?

If King Cake really comes from the Catholic celebration of King’s Day – or Epiphany, January 6th – then why is it now associated with Mardi Gras?

I have an answer, and it may surprise you. But, first, I would love to know what you think. How would you answer this question? Please tell me in the comments below or pop over to The Catholic Foodie Facebook page and leave your comment there. Here’s the link: The Catholic Foodie on Facebook.