A French council in Marseilles has come under fire for allegedly undermining the country’s Christian heritage, following comments about a popular pastry traditionally served during Epiphany.

The controversy reportedly began when the city’s council described Epiphany in an email to school parents as “a convivial food lovers’ pagan festival" - a description that sparked outrage, particularly among right-wing groups.

The traditional pastry, typically filled with frangipane, is part of the Epiphany celebrations, and the cake is distributed to students in over 470 schools in Marseilles, LBC reports.

The council's comments led some protesters to claim that the government was suppressing Christian traditions in an attempt to gain support from the city’s Muslim population, which makes up around 30 per cent of Marseilles’ 873,000 residents.

Each January, nearly 50 million Epiphany cakes are sold across France.

French President Emmanuel Macron even participated in an Epiphany cake ceremony earlier this week, marking the holiday in front of the French Bakery and Pastry Federation in Paris.

The cake, known as galette des rois (cake of the kings), has a long history, with roots dating back to Roman times. It was part of festivals honouring the god Saturn and celebrating the return of longer days after the winter solstice.

Opposition councillor Catherine Pila, from the center-right Republicans party, expressed frustration with the council’s description, calling it an attack on French identity.

“It’s an effort to deconstruct our roots," she said. 

While the council has been accused of trying to appeal to local Muslim voters, a spokesperson denied this, stating that Epiphany "goes back much further than Christians or Catholics" and suggesting that the holiday’s origins are not solely tied to Christianity.