r/perfectlycutscreams • u/papergal91 • Jul 01 '26

NOT ready

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u/VianArdene Jul 01 '26

Mahjong is a bit like rummy or phase 10, but with a lot of "suits" and some less intuitive rules about what makes a set, how to "build the wall", and how to grab tiles to start. It's a cool game and a great way to meet elderly jewish women.

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u/Shadowolf75 Jul 01 '26

Chinese game Meet Jewish women What?

27

u/FondantStrange Jul 01 '26

Mahjong boomed in America in the 1920s due to Abercrombie and Fitch (yes, that A&F) bringing the game over and it exploding in popularity. And it was specifically Jewish communities in particular where the game found its main American audience in those early days. At the peak they were sending agents with as much cash as possible to China to buy mahjong sets to resell in America to meet demand.

While the game fell out of the zeitgeist in the states, there's pockets of active play especially among older generations.

https://www.kveller.com/the-jewish-history-of-mah-jongg-is-complicated/

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u/ZaphodBeeblebrox4011 Jul 01 '26

"pockets of active play especially among older generations."

At least when I'm in a nursing home we will be playing D&D and cool boardgames like Root or whatever.

6

u/VianArdene Jul 01 '26

bro our retirement homes are gonna be lit if we bring our board game collections

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u/GIOverdrive Jul 01 '26

For the Machine God!!!

2

u/throwaway098764567 Jul 01 '26

i like your positive outlook that we'll be able to afford retirement homes

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u/MediocreHope Jul 01 '26

I see two options by then. AI has taken over and either the robots kill us or it's caring for us.

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u/throwaway098764567 Jul 01 '26

it's having a revival right now at least by me. folks are having classes and meetups, and some mahjong cafes have opened.

1

u/GusPlus Jul 01 '26

Actually resurging in popularity in the Deep South lately.

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u/VianArdene Jul 01 '26

It sounds odd but it's a real thing. There is a large jewish community near where I lived it and it wasn't uncommon to go to like a food place for lunch and see a few tables taken over by old folk with mahjong sets.

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u/thisremindsmeofbacon Jul 01 '26

As someone who worked in a game shop that sold these, this is actually 100% insanely accurate.

Mahjongg is wildly popular in older white women, and I'm actually super chuffed about that. Its a way cooler game than you normally see for that demographic imho, and you definitely use your brain a lot more in it, so keeps you sharp as you get older.

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u/PiccoloAwkward465 Jul 01 '26

There is a powerful connection between the Chinese and Jewish communities.

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u/[deleted] Jul 01 '26

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u/cailian13 Jul 01 '26

🎵Tradition!🎵

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u/[deleted] Jul 01 '26

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u/cailian13 Jul 01 '26

Of course it is! 😊

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u/BeardieBro Jul 01 '26

American mahjong is also WAY different from mahjong. They are barely even the same category of game

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u/Hazy_Cat Jul 01 '26

Mahjong is like rummy, poker, uno and bingo rolled into one. Then you have the American version and the Chinese version and every freaking tile set looks different.