Did You Know: Playing Cards?

 by Nathaniel G

Chinese playing 
card, c. 1400 CE

Playing cards are incredibly old.  The first set of cards probably came from China in the ninth century.

It is thought that cards symbolise the modern calendar.  There are 52 cards in a set or deck, which is the number of weeks in a year.  There are 365 cards, which is the same number as days in the year.  There are 12 court cards: which are the picture cards of kings, queens and jacks. This equals the months. There are 4 different sets: diamonds, hearts, clubs and spades which represent the 4 seasons in each year.  

In World War II, the Americans designed packs of cards where each card peeled in half to show hidden maps. This could help soldiers who had been captured to know how they could make an escape.  

In the last part of the fifteenth century, card players in France designed card sets with the familiar symbols of hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs.  Before this, common symbols on cards included swords, polo sticks, cups and coins.

In casinos in Las Vegas, packs of cards are used so frequently that they have to be replaced every twelve hours before they wear out.  

Most casinos will use playing cards made with plastic. This is because these are harder to mark or crease than paper cards, and so it is difficult to cheat.  

The Playing Cards Act is a law in Thailand that prevents people from owning more than 120 playing cards which have not been registered with the government.

US troops believed that the ace of spades was a frightening and evil omen for Viet Cong soldiers. This has given it the nickname The Death Card.

In Ancient Egypt, the Egyptian Mamluks believed the symbolism of the ace of spades lied with the sword of the executor, with the spade shape of the card representing the spades used to dig the graves.

Political playing cards were popular in the UK in the seventeenth century.  They had designs which made fun of politicians and their ideas. Perhaps these might be reintroduced this year?!