King's Ball
Encyclopedia
The King's Ball - La fête des rois (or Festival of the [Three] Kings - Twelfth-Night)
The 250-year-old tradition of the King’s Ball was brought to the New World
by Catholic
émigrés, who measured the passing of time in two ways – by agricultural cycles, and the Church’s religious calendar
. Lent
, the weeks preceding Easter
, had special importance for them as a period of repentance
and atonement.
For the settlers of New France
, however, even the onset of so solemn a season was a good excuse for a party. The colonial residents of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
– habitants
, Indians, and even slaves, literally had themselves a ball the last weekend before Lent.
As early as the first half of the 16th century, French
records tell of a ball that was the social event of the year. The event included boisterous ceremonies in which a temporary monarch was selected by chance.
Early diarists recorded that the good citizens of Ste. Genevieve
began preparations days before the ball – cleaning, baking, and cooking. Bouillabaise simmered over wood fires, and the heady scent of decanting wine filled the houses in Le Vieux Village (the Old Town).
Those who lived outside the settlement proper began to arrive in town at midday, rest a while, then ready themselves for the evening’s activities. The parties lasted throughout the night and into the next day, when a late morning breakfast was served.
Music, dancing and fine food were always important elements of the event. But the centerpiece of the annual celebration was the selection of the royal personage.
Generally, a dried bean was baked into La Galette des Rois (literally translated, the cake of kings or, a special cake). All the men in attendance were served a slice. The one who found the bean in his cake was crowned Le Roi (the King) of the festivities. The new king selected his queen, and they reigned over the year’s festivities in Ste. Genevieve.
Some scholars speculate that the King’s Ball has its roots in fertility rites that date from prehistory. The bean was a symbol of potential life; the king was, perhaps, a variation of the Green Man
, a figure prevalent in pagan religious practices, who was often sacrificed to assure a good crop.
By the 18th century, a Christian
substitute had been found for the formerly ubiquitous bean. A tiny figure representing the Christ
child was secreted in the cake instead (perhaps to remove any suggestion of the pagan origins of the practice). Happily, the colonial French required no more of their King than that he lead them in revelry. And that he did.
Note: Article edited from the Ste. Genevieve Herald newspaper.
Note: "Bouillabaise simmered over wood fires" was more accurately said to be Bouillon rather than Bouillabaise.
The 250-year-old tradition of the King’s Ball was brought to the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
by Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
émigrés, who measured the passing of time in two ways – by agricultural cycles, and the Church’s religious calendar
Calendar
A calendar is a system of organizing days for social, religious, commercial, or administrative purposes. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months, and years. The name given to each day is known as a date. Periods in a calendar are usually, though not...
. Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
, the weeks preceding Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
, had special importance for them as a period of repentance
Repentance
Repentance is a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law...
and atonement.
For the settlers of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
, however, even the onset of so solemn a season was a good excuse for a party. The colonial residents of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
Ste. Genevieve is a city in and the county seat of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,654 at the 2000 census...
– habitants
Habitants
Habitants is the name used to refer to both the French settlers and the inhabitants of French origin who farmed the land along the two shores of the St. Lawrence Gulf and River in what is the present-day Province of Quebec in Canada...
, Indians, and even slaves, literally had themselves a ball the last weekend before Lent.
As early as the first half of the 16th century, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
records tell of a ball that was the social event of the year. The event included boisterous ceremonies in which a temporary monarch was selected by chance.
Early diarists recorded that the good citizens of Ste. Genevieve
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
Ste. Genevieve is a city in and the county seat of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, United States. The population was 11,654 at the 2000 census...
began preparations days before the ball – cleaning, baking, and cooking. Bouillabaise simmered over wood fires, and the heady scent of decanting wine filled the houses in Le Vieux Village (the Old Town).
Those who lived outside the settlement proper began to arrive in town at midday, rest a while, then ready themselves for the evening’s activities. The parties lasted throughout the night and into the next day, when a late morning breakfast was served.
Music, dancing and fine food were always important elements of the event. But the centerpiece of the annual celebration was the selection of the royal personage.
Generally, a dried bean was baked into La Galette des Rois (literally translated, the cake of kings or, a special cake). All the men in attendance were served a slice. The one who found the bean in his cake was crowned Le Roi (the King) of the festivities. The new king selected his queen, and they reigned over the year’s festivities in Ste. Genevieve.
Some scholars speculate that the King’s Ball has its roots in fertility rites that date from prehistory. The bean was a symbol of potential life; the king was, perhaps, a variation of the Green Man
Green Man
A Green Man is a sculpture, drawing, or other representation of a face surrounded by or made from leaves. Branches or vines may sprout from the nose, mouth, nostrils or other parts of the face and these shoots may bear flowers or fruit...
, a figure prevalent in pagan religious practices, who was often sacrificed to assure a good crop.
By the 18th century, a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
substitute had been found for the formerly ubiquitous bean. A tiny figure representing the Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
child was secreted in the cake instead (perhaps to remove any suggestion of the pagan origins of the practice). Happily, the colonial French required no more of their King than that he lead them in revelry. And that he did.
Note: Article edited from the Ste. Genevieve Herald newspaper.
Note: "Bouillabaise simmered over wood fires" was more accurately said to be Bouillon rather than Bouillabaise.
External links
- La Maison de Guibourd webpage
- Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve, Inc. Guibourd Historic House & Mecker Research Library
- Felix Vallé State Historic Site Missouri Department of Natural Resources
- Ste. Genevieve Co, MO Historical and Genealogical Resources
- Sainte Genevieve Chamber of Commerce
- Ste. Genevieve Herald
- French Creole Architecture Louisiana Dept Natural Resources
- Article: USA Today Travel, Jan 3rd, 2008
- St. Louis's Annual King's Ball webpage