The game of Mahjong was invented the mid-1800s somewhere in China’s Yangtze River Delta. In Chinese the word Mahjong means “sparrow,” a reference to the sound made when the tiles are shuffled before beginning a new game. It made its way to America in the 1920s and found a home among the country’s Jewish community. Originally intended as a gambling game, but one that could also be played just for fun, it now has a global following and has become a way for people to find community.
 
What does Mahjong have to do with a skull? Just this: Mahjong, even with its many rule variations, is a game of the mind, wherein you analyze your opponent’s tiles (the game requires four players) as well as your own, until you put together a matching set of 14 tiles, otherwise called a Mahjong.