Due to their unique history, games like Blackjack, Teen Patti, Poker, Rummy, and Baccarat are today’s most popular card games. In many cultures and countries, they are among people’s favorite casino games because of the symbolism playing cards carry.
Artists have spent the past millennia inspiring different card symbols because of the symbolism playing cards add to the deck. Each card and suit has special significance, often from cultural or historical ideas. The kings, queens, and other figures represent different types of people, and even the small symbols on the cards have hidden meanings.
Furthermore, a special playing card, tarot cards, takes this further with detailed pictures and connections to mystical ideas. People use tarot cards for playing games and trying to understand the future or themselves. Some trace these symbolic playing cards to the Gregorian calendar.
So, while you jingle the bells this Christmas and have fun with family and friends, this casino news will highlight all there’s to know about symbolism in playing cards.
History of Symbolism Playing Cards
The history of symbolism playing cards traces back to ancient times when games used rudimentary items like sticks and stones. The Tang Dynasty marked a pivotal moment, introducing cards made from paper and woodblock printing around 618 to 907 CE. These early cards served various purposes, including gaming, gambling, and religious rituals. As cards traveled from China to India, Persia, and eventually Egypt (Mamluk Era), they evolved in design and purpose.
Over time, the correlation between playing cards and time emerged. By 1582, the Gregorian calendar solidified in Europe, influencing the symbolic connections within playing cards at the directives of Pope Gregory XIII. The 52 factorials symbolized the 52 weeks of the year, and the twelve royals, such as the King, Queen, and Jack or Knaves, aligned with the 12 months. The suits took on deeper meanings, representing seasons, solstices, and possibly the elements of nature, as stated by some historians.