SoftWare: Holiday Hospitality

Games & Amusements At the Table

The 1970 movie Scrooge was a musical film adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic 1843 story, A Christmas Carol. It was filmed in London, directed by Ronald Neame, and starred Albert Finney in the title role. This film contains a scene where the characters play a Victorian parlour game known as The Minister’s Cat. (From Wikipedia.) Here are the rules:

The Minister’s Cat

All players sit in a circle, and the first player describes the minister's cat with an adjective beginning with the letter A. For example, "The minister's cat is an adorable cat." Each player then does the same, using different adjectives starting with the same letter. Once everyone has done so, the first player describes the cat with an adjective beginning with the letter B. This continues for each letter of the alphabet.

A player is "out" of the game if they are unable to think of an adjective, or if they repeat one previously used. Players may clap in unison or speak in a rhythmic manner during the game, setting the pace for each player to speak his line; if a player falls too far behind the pace while thinking of an adjective, he may also be declared "out."

More Games for the Prepared Hostess

Family events during the holidays can be fun, stressful, boring, exciting—or all of these. One way to vary the mood of your dinner party or afternoon gathering is to have several pre-planned activities on hand to suggest to your group. Some game ideas will draw probably groans from your crowd, but some will be pounced on with enthusiasm. Young children will go along with just about anything. From Wikipedia, here’s one for the little ones, plus a few more for all ages.

Squeak Piggy Squeak

To play the game, one player is chosen to be the 'farmer'; the others are the piggies. The farmer is blindfolded. All other players sit in a circle surrounding the farmer. The farmer is spun around three times and then has to make his way to the piggies, and sit in the lap of one of them. The farmer then says 'Squeek Piggy Squeek'. The chosen piggy then squeeks and the farmer has to guess the name of the player on whom he is sitting.

If the farmer guesses correctly, the piggy becomes the farmer in the next round. If the guess is incorrect, then the farmer remains for the next round.

Elephant’s Foot Umbrella Stand

This game and be played by a number of players, preferably only one of which should be familiar with the logic of the game.* Play takes the form of rotating around the group of players, each player adding an item to a list which is either allowed or disallowed. The basis of the game is not to remember the list, although this can be difficult as the game progresses, but to work out the logic behind what items are allowed. The game usually takes the following format:

Player 1: "I went to the shop and I bought an elephant's foot umbrella stand."

Player 2: "I went to the shop and I bought an elephant's foot umbrella stand and a large orange plate."

Player 1, or the player who knows the rules, would then allow or refuse the new item. Play then continues in this manner until everybody has worked out the logic.

*The logic behind the game is that each new item must begin with the next letter of the phrase 'elephant's foot umbrella stand.'

Resources for the Hip Hostess

● Here are the rules for our family’s favorites, The Dictionary Game and Twenty Questions.

● A handy book from my personal library is After Dinner Games. “Who would have known that such great ideas could be packed into such a tiny book? …It's definitely a party saver and helps get those introverts off the couch! And what makes this book even better? It fits in your pocket!” (From amazon.com)

● Pull up a comfy chair and sip on a cuppa tea with La Tea Dah at Gracious Hospitality. You'll enjoy her conversation, delicious recipes, floral arrangements and her thoughts on homemaking.

Reading For Leaders & Teachers

1. “A Cornucopia of Thanksgiving Ideas” for Churches and Small Groups from CT’s Leadership Journal suggests reading the Proclamation, Giving Thanks Jewish Style, Holding a Prayer Vigil, Pie and Praise, Passing the Peace Pipe, and Remembering the Persecuted Church.

2. Travelers and Strangers: “Hospitality” in the Biblical World by Dennis Bratcher discusses the background behind Middle Eastern concepts such as the protection for the foreigner, and obligations to the desert traveler. HT to Mrs. Blythe at Faith, Hope, and Love for linking to this article in her excellent three-part series on Christian hospitality.

Snap-dragon (Kids, Don’t Try This at Home!)

Snap-dragon was a parlour game popular from about the 16th to 19th centuries. It was played during the winter, particularly on Christmas Eve. Brandy was heated and placed in a wide shallow bowl; raisins were placed in the brandy which was then set alight. Typically, lights were extinguished or dimmed to increase the eerie effect of the blue flames playing across the liquor. The aim of the game was to pluck the raisins out of the burning brandy and eat them, at the risk of being burnt. Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language (1755) describes it as "a play in which they catch raisins out of burning brandy and, extinguishing them by closing the mouth, eat them.” (From Wikipedia)

What are your family's favorite holiday games?

Photos Courtesy of The Faber Girls, Charles Haynes, Zoe Rochelle, amazon.com and sebastian fiedler (Flickr)

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