Do you know the origin of domino? If not, you should know that dominoes are a family of tile-based games. These pieces are square, rectangular tiles with a spot at one end and a number on the other. Players take turns trying to match up their dominos so that they get the same number of points as their opponents. The goal of the game is to get as many points as possible before all of them are gone.

Origin

While the Chinese are generally credited with the invention of dominoes, some believe that the game originated in Asia or Egypt as far back as 1355 BC. While the Chinese may have invented dominoes first, they also brought the game to China and made it popular. Regardless of where it originated, dominoes are still played today in various countries, including the United States, Canada, and the UK. Here is a brief history of the game.

Rules

To play the game of domino, players place tiles onto the open ends of the playing board. All of the tiles in a row must connect with a number of pips equal to or greater than 5. A player scores when the pips on all of his or her open ends are the same. The rules of domino are very simple. The game is played to determine whose dominos are higher in value than his or her own.

Materials

The materials used in the production of Dominoes come from many different sources. The original material for dominoes was Parkesine, now known as Xylonite and Celluloid. The company Parkes in Birmingham, England, produced dominoes using this material for many years. Unfortunately, because of its inflammability, this material wasn’t long lasting and it was replaced by a modern plastic that comes from petroleum. To this day, most modern Chinese dominoes are made from cheap, shiny plastic. Instead, you’d be much better served buying a wooden wine rack!

Variations

The word domino is derived from the Latin “dominus”, which means “to fall.” It is believed that the name was based on a Venetian Carnival costume. It also refers to a Venetian mask, which was used by players during the carnival. However, the word polyomino has no connection with the number two. Popular variations of domino include the Matador, the Fives and Threes, the Double Fives, and the Domino Whist. Many different regional games exist, including the Spanish and English versions.

Symbolism

The symbolism of dominoes has many meanings. For example, losing at a game of dominoes can mean being embarrassed in front of a large crowd. It could also mean participating in a conversation about something you don’t know. However, if you don’t want to embarrass yourself or make your friends laugh, you might choose to remain silent. It may be that your domino dream symbolizes someone new or that you are meeting a new person.

Origins in Southeast Asia

One theory puts the Communist takeover of Vietnam on the brink of establishing communist rule in three other Southeast Asian countries: the Viet Cong in South Vietnam, the Pathet Lao in Laos, and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Before Vietnam, communist campaigns failed in Southeast Asia, but after the communist takeover, the movement gained momentum and eventually succeeded. Now, the question is, what happened next?