>>5535446 I did a little research on the role of King Bacchus in the Mardi Gras parade yesterday. Luke Perry was King one year. Tradition before the Catholic church change it was that (the king for a year} was chosen by cutting a cake with a token in it. The chosen one was treated like royalty for a year and then sacrificed at the end of the year to help the crops grow. Tom Arnold was also King Bacchus one year.
http://www.kreweofbacchus.org/kings/
It was customary to choose a man to be the "sacred king" of the tribe for a year. That man would be treated like a king for the year, then he would be sacrificed, and his blood returned to the soil to ensure that the harvest would be successful. The method of choosing who would have the honor of being the sacred king was the King's Cake. A coin or bean would be placed in the cake before baking, and whoever got the slice that had the coin was the chosen one.