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I don’t know about you but I’ve always enjoyed playing cards. I have a deck of cards in my desk so I can play #Soilitaire or Crazy Eight with Charlie. For Christmas I purchased a set of Charlie Brown Playing Cards for Charlie and SpongeBob Square Pants for Mikalia so we can play cards when she visits. Would you like to play with us?
Get busy and shuffle your cards and cut the deck on Card Playing Day, which falls on December 28. Playing cards is the ideal activity to spend time with your family without having to chatter away or go on some big outing.
The Christmas hustle and bustle is over, for some people and our children there is still time off from work, and school and the excitement from opening presents has diminished. Ther is nothing like a slow-paced game of cards to relax while having fun!
Card Playing Day doesn’t exactly have a founder or origin, it is just a go-to activity that is quickly turning into a tradition after the busy holiday season. #FamilyGameNight is already a thing, but elaborate board games can be too competitive and take longer to set up. It doesn’t take much to start playing a game of cards.
Did you know playing cards have been around for a long time, but they didn’t start out as the 52-card deck we have today. It all began in 9th Century China when people from the Tang dynasty began developing games using paper and objects. These were nothing like the modern, sturdier cards, but they did spread from China to different parts of the world.
In India, the card game Ganjifa played by The Great Mughals had 10 suits in a deck. Court artists would hand-paint detailed scenes onto each of the 120 cards. From Egyptian cards featuring geometric Mamluk designs to the arrival of playing cards in Europe during the Renaissance, the deck eventually evolved and was divided into four suits of swords, cups, sticks, and coins.
These four suits were further developed into the modern deck we all know today, featuring hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. There are different ideas on how this happened. One theory says that these symbols represent the aristocracy, Clergy, peasantry, and Military. Another suggests that the four suits represent the four Seasons. As for why there are 52 cards in a deck, it is believed that this number represents the total weeks in a year.
Today, thousands of card games are enjoyed by people around the world. Did you know the most popular card games include Spades, Hearts, Solitaire, Gin Rummy, Black Jack, and, of course, Poker. If you have a second you should hear about the time my Uncle Chuck was going to teach Charlie and Suzzie to play Strip Poker because they wouldn’t leave him alone.
Card Playing Day Activities
- If you have the means and the opportunity today play a game of cards because what else are you supposed to do on Card Playing Day? Gather your family and friends, deal the cards, and stay alert for those side glances at your cards!
- If you don’t have a physical deck of cards, you can go online and play one of the thousands of card games available including Texas Hold Em’ Poker. Before you ask if I want to play no, I will pass on any Poker Games. I’m going to play Solitaire.
- Did you know you can always interpret ‘playing cards’ differently and actually play with the cards and build a card house and see how high you can stack your house before it comes tumbling down.
Facts About Playing Cards
- The United States Playing Card Company is the biggest manufacturer of playing cards in the world.
- During World War II, the US government produced special secret card decks with a famous card company for American prisoners of war.
- Casinos have an unbelievably high level of security for protecting the cards they use, requiring sign-offs before the deck is reshuffled.
- Casinos in Vegas sell- or discard cards within 12 hours of using them. Did you know this because my family didn’t.
Why People Love Card Playing Day
The cards we have today have evolved over time and it’s crazy to think these cards were fully hand-painted at one point. Although cards have changed, we are still practically playing the same deck that was used years ago.
People love how a single deck of 52 cards leads to complex games that give us hours of entertainment.
Playing Solitaire alone is a great way to pass the time.
Playing cards is fun and relaxing, and can be played in total silence with family members and playing cards is a great way to spend time with family without requiring any extra effort.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
