FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- Mardi Gras is being celebrated the day before ash Wednesday with King cakes traditions, dating back several years.
Rick's Bakery makes King cakes on Fat Tuesday during the famous Mardi Gras tradition.
The cakes are offered in several different flavors often filled with cream cheese and cinnamon, and sometimes fruit.
The ring-shaped cake symbolizes unity and is decorated in purple, green and gold with each color representing a particular meaning.
Purple represents justice, green represents faith and gold represents power.
The colors were chosen to represent the jeweled crowns worn by the wise men who visited Jesus Christ.
It is known by Christians that Jan. 6 was the day when Jesus first showed himself to the three wise men and the world.
As a symbol of the Holy day, a small baby Jesus is placed within the cake.
Jan. 6 is when Mardi Gras began which is also known as Kings Day.