Earlier today my west coast brother informed me that today is "Kiss Me Day." My spouse and I immediately started celebrating. It's also "World Rock Paper Scissors Day."
I'm sure you're all familiar with this process for making decisions (or gambling?). It's a great one to teach to squabbling siblings. Make a fist and shake it up and down three times, then extend your hand in one of three ways: flat for paper, fist closed for rock, two fingers extended in a horizontal V for scissors. Rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, paper covers rock.
Thinking about this game got me to wondering how old it is and where it came from. Was it first papyrus, rock, dagger, or even older animal skin, spear, rock? We know rocks have been around for a long long time. Obviously I had to look this up.
As far as anyone has traced it back, the game originated in China as the hand game shoushiling during the Han Dynasty 206bc to 220ad. A venerable game indeed. It eventually spread to Japan but didn't reach the US until the early 20th century.
So now you know. Go ahead, give it a try.
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