Trending claims

By mid-1970s babies were commonplace

Donald Entringer Sr said they were first to use babies

As Roman Empire spread across Europe tradition spread

Until mid-20th century New Orleans bakers placed beans pecans or coins inside cake

Kelly Jacques said bean had nothing to do with Jesus because bean predates him

Then came figurine McKenzie’s Pastry Shoppes began placing small porcelain dolls in king cakes

Donald Entringer Sr recounted to Times-Picayune in 1990 salesman said look at this cute little thing it won’t get lost like pecan or bean

Linh Tran Garza said do not forget the baby

Whoever finds figure is crowned queen or king of party and tasked with providing next king cake

Bakeries in New Orleans churn out hundreds of thousands of ring-shaped king cakes between Three Kings Day and Mardi Gras

Tradition of hiding object inside pastry can be traced to Saturnalia festival in ancient Rome

Liz Williams said many are certain baby symbolizes baby Jesus while others think premise is ridiculous

King cake is almost always studded with small plastic baby

Tradition dictates baby be hidden within cake before served

New Orleanians cannot agree on the identity of the King Cake Baby

Be the unorthodoxy you hope to see

Morrison is up there for good reason

Bloom seemed most alarmed at what had befallen Morrison

In 1994 Harold Bloom held forth on Charlie Rose’s old show about his Western canon project and disparaged the artistic merit of Maya Angelou Alice Walker and Morrison's work

Bloom said Morrison has been victimized by the times