MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Tuesday was Mardi Gras, the traditional Eve of Lent, often celebrated by indulging in King Cakes and Pączki. These delicious pastries were flying out of the door at the Huron Mountain Bakery in Marquette, where they expect to sell over 13,000 Pączki and hundreds of King Cakes just today. Polish-derived Pączki are decadent jelly-filled donuts popular in the Midwest, while King Cakes are rooted in New Orleans and French tradition and feature a tiny plastic baby inside for luck.
“And the story goes that if you get that baby piece, then you either have to buy the next king cake for next year, or you have to host the whole event. It’s different for each household,” said Alexis LaForest of Huron Mountain Bakery.
King cakes, which celebrate the three wise men, are decorated in purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for royalty, and with the baby signifying Jesus.
