January in France is not all about resolutions… it’s mostly about cake

While Ireland spends the first weeks of the year attempting to undo the excesses of Christmas, France rings in the New Year with pastry, and lots of it

Instead of submitting to 31 days of self-imposed penance, marked by abstinence and self-reproach, the French begin the year by eating copious amounts of cake — specifically, galettes des rois. 

Every year, January arrives loaded with expectation. Before the holiday decorations have even come down, we’re already busy attempting to undo the damage of Christmas.

For much of the world, January 1 grants us a “fresh start” — the opportunity to leave the past behind and reinvent ourselves for the next 365 days.