Thirty-Six Flags

 

The game of backgammon has been around for nearly 5000 years. It’s one of the world’s oldest games, and is believed to have originated in Mesopotamia. During the 16th century, the Catholic church banned the game, which instantly made it much more popular. People played in secret, and made foldable boards that could hide in plain sight. The name of the game may refer to the fact checkers can be “sent back,” or it may come from some very old words meaning, “game on a table.” The twenty-four points on the backgammon board represent twenty-four hours in a day, while thirty checkers (fifteen for each player) represent the thirty days of the month. Famous people who’ve loved playing backgammon include Lucille Ball, Omar Sharif, Hugh Hefner, Taylor Swift, Leo DiCaprio, Kiera Knightley, Chris Rock, and Toby MacGuire. I learned to play while I was still in my teens, and seldom go twenty-four hours without a game.