With their purple, gold, and green colors and toy babies hidden inside, king cakes are staples of Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, but apparently they're also valuable enough to steal—at least this time of year during the Carnival season. Police say a thief stole seven king cakes—about as many as he could carry—during a break-in last week at a New Orleans bakery, per the AP. "Our king cakes are just that good," wrote bakery Bittersweet Confections on social media. "But please come and purchase one during our regular store hours."
King cakes are among the foods most associated with Carnival in New Orleans. The rings of pastry are adorned with colorful sugar or icing, and they often have a tiny plastic baby hidden inside as a prize. "He walked around for about 20 minutes," owner Cheryl Scripter tells WDSU of the masked thief, who was spotted on surveillance video but remains at large. "He went from room to room and ended up with a stack of king cakes, some cash, and a case of Tito's (vodka)."
While it's a secular celebration, Carnival in New Orleans—and around the world—is strongly linked to Christian and Roman Catholic traditions. The season begins on Jan. 6, the 12th day after Christmas, and continues until Mardi Gras, known as Fat Tuesday, which is the final day of feasting, drinking, and revelry before Ash Wednesday and the fasting associated with Lent. This year, Mardi Gras is Feb. 13.
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