Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-12-24
Old Christmas Games.

One of the interesting features OF II
, Christmas in the oldcn times was the
| varied assortment of games which
were so heartily joined in by both old
and young assembled round the blaz-
ing hearth. Most of these merry pas
times have long ago passed away;
only Il few, such as snapdragon, hide
and-scck, etc, being known by the
present generation out of the long list
Of Christmas games formerly kept up.
Thus, an old game played especially at
Christmas was {" hot cookies" a spc-
cics of hlind-man's buff, in which the
person knccling down, and being
struck behind, was to guess who i'll
tlicted the blow. 1t is described by
Gay in the following lines:
As at hot cookies once laid me down;
| And felt the weighty hand of many clown.
BuXoma gave gentle tap, and
Quick rose and read soft mischief III her eye.
In an old tract, " Round About Ouc
Coal Fire; or, Christmas Entertain
mcnts," published in the early part OF
the last century, mention is made of IA
game called "Questions and Com
mands." The writer says that the
commander may obligc his subjects to
answer any lawful question, and make
the same obey him instantly under the
penalty of paying any such forfeit as
may be laid on the aggressors.
Handy dandy" was much in request
at this season. One of the party con-
ccalcd something in his hand, making
his neighbors guess in which one it
was. If the latter guessed rightly, he
won the article; if wrongly, he lost an
equivalent.
A childish diversion also usually in
| troduced at Christmas in bygone days
was the "Game of Goose" 1t was,
says Strut, played by two persons, al
though it readily admitted OF many
more, and was well calculated to make
the young people sharp at reckoning
the product of two given numbers.
The table for playing "Goose" was
about the size of a sheet almanac, and
divided into siXty-two small compart
ments, arranged in spiral form, with
a large open space i'll the center
marked with the number 63; the other
compartments were denoted by num-
bers from one to sixty-two, inclusive.
The game was played with two dice,
each player throwing in turn, and
marking with Il counter whatever the
dice cast up. Thus, if there were
four and five he marked nine, and so
on, until the game was completed.
The number 63 had to be reached ex-
actly, and should the player exceed it
he had to reckon back, and throw
again i'll his turn.
Some doubt exists as to the precise
| lltttulc vi II SdiiiC ocSiSiihtSu ciiocliS
the Wild Mare" and mentioned by
Herrick where he speaks Of
Christmas sports, the wassilbowl,
| OF blind-man buff, and of the care
That young men have to shoe the mare.
at appears" says Brand, that " the
wild-mare was simply youth so
called, who was allowed certain start,
and who was pursued by his compan-
ions, with the object of being shoed,
if he did not succeed in outstripping
them" Then there were" cap-verses,'
wherein one gave word, to which an
other found a rhyme; Il pastime once
very popular.
Such were some of the old games
practiced at Christmas-tide; and the
importance that was attached to these
diversions may be gathered from the
fact that every large household had its
Lord of Merry Disports, whose duty it
was to arrange the mcrry-makings
every season; custom which was eX-
| tended to our Universities and the
Inns of Court. At the present day,
when Christmas is shorn of so many
of its former glorics, some of these old
tireside games might with advantage
be revived, thereby creating harmless
mirth and fun.