Featured,Lifestyle

Mooncake Festival: How to play the Dice Game

Jane   11 Sep , 2014  

History shares that the Dice Game (played during the Mooncake Festival) was invented to keep the soldiers preoccupied and less homesick, with mooncakes and other types of cakes as prizes. This was more than 1,500 year ago, and has evolved into a more fun game for the 21st century.

Wear red (or your lucky color) to have more chances of winning the dice game

Wear red (or your lucky color) to have more chances of winning the dice game

 

For us, Chinoys, our September calendar is usually filled with dice games left and right—which reminds me, maybe we should host one with fellow bloggers Keri and Rikki next year so I can introduce to their family how fun it is 😉

I remember playing this game with my parents and their friends, prizes include toys for the kiddie table and food & beverages for the adults. More often than not, the kids join in on the fun at the adult table to save on space and time. My favorite prize of all (when I was a kid) was this big jar of Welch grape juice—hihi!

Like I said, the dice game has evolved. There are two options for the prizes: actual items OR cash. Either way is fun for me.

My husband’s side of the family had products as prizes, and the kids had so much fun winning. Our first born was so happy with the toys that he won, even with the snacks that he won. Our second son was too young to enjoy the prizes, but he didn’t want to let go of the dice haha… As for my side of the family, my parents always prepared cash as prizes. I guess they are too old to buy the prizes, and we only have three kids in our side so buying actual prizes isn’t as fun as my husband’s side—we have 9 kids in total!

Take your pick for the prizes: products or cash

Take your pick for the prizes: products or cash

 

My side of the family would always have our household help have a little fun as well, too! My dad is the one in green (that’s his lucky color), making sure that everyone gets the prize they deserve since the helpers do not know how to decipher the prizes even if we gave them a cheat sheet.

Giving our helpers a treat!

Giving our helpers a treat!

 

Speaking of cheat sheets, I am sharing with you what my brother prepared. Take note that the grand prize should have more than four 4’s and the remaining two dice should be added. Whoever gets the higher sum of the two dice (plus four 4’s) is the winner, but whoever gets 5 of a kind or 6 of a kind will beat the four 4’s. Clear? 🙂

This is just the basic one. Some have added more winning combinations.

This is just the basic one. Some have added more winning combinations.

 

And the number of prizes?Check the list below,  but, again, you can always add more to the prizes if you like.

1 – 1st prize

2 – 2nd prize

4 – 3rd prize

8 – 4th prize

16 – 5th prize

32 – 6th prize

 

So here you go, this is as simple as it can get. I am sure that you will get the hang of it as you play the game more often (and year by year)! Have fun and enjoy the mooncake festival!

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