Whether at a square table or at the family barbecue on Sunday, it’s almost a certainty that someone will invite those present for a game of dominoes. In fact, this tradition is very old, as is the emergence of this game.
Historically there is no exact date for the emergence of dominoes, but it is speculated that it first appeared in China as a creation of Hung Ming, a soldier who lived during the years 243 and 181 BC Initially he only had 21 combinations, all of them based on the possibilities of rolling two six-sided dice.
Over time , it was being adopted by more and more people as a hobby, especially in Europe. In the mid-eighteenth century, dominoes began to be played in the courts of Venice and Naples, with the main difference being the inclusion of seven more pieces (the double zeros and their variations with the other numbers), adding up to a total of 28 stones in the shape we know today.
The origin of the word domino may have a more religious association, as you will see further down. (Source: Shutterstock/Reproduction)
There are still some indications that dominoes appeared simultaneously in several countries around the globe, in much the same way as we saw in Tic Tac Toe. However, whatever its origin, its popularity in different corners of the globe is undeniable, especially in Latin America.
And where did the name domino come from?
Although the game is quite old, the name domino only emerged a few centuries later. According to reports, the word derives from the Latin expression “domino gratias”, which means “thanks to God”. As it was often said by priests while they played, it ended up catching and spreading later in its “reduced form”.
Another important point linked to dominoes is that it gave rise to a very popular game in China. : the famous Mahjong, in which four people participate in a dispute in which it is necessary to fit the pieces that are free to form pairs until none is left in the player’s hand.
