Backgammon Day

Strategically Placed Weird Holiday

Backgammon is an old game. The earliest ancestors of backgammon date back to Mesopotamia (birth place of civilization) where inhabitants played a board game known as The Royal Game of Ur. Many great civilizations have played some variation of backgammon: Persians, Egyptians and Romans all had a version. Backgammon became a popular game in 11^th century France where it was known as jeux de tables, a game gamblers grew to enjoy. The games presence and popularity grew so much in Europe that by the 13^th century it had reached Iceland and Louis IX outlawed jeux de tables in France. Attempts were made to outlaw backgammon in Elizabethan England, but to no avail. By 18^th century Backgammon was being played by many people, including the clergy. Backgammon American popularity grew in the 1920s when it was introduced to Lower East Side gaming clubs.

With such a long history, it’s no surprise that there’s a zany holiday to celebrate Backgammon. That holiday falls on August 4^th, and that makes today’s outrageous holiday Backgammon day! Celebrate today’s wacky holiday with an all out backgammon tournament. You don’t need to gamble, but you do need is wit, strategy and a backgammon set.