National Mahjong Day
April 30
The origins of mahjong are quite disputed, and it is possible that the Chinese teacher Confucius designed the game around 500 BC. A total of up to 144 tiles are typically used in a game of mahjong, featuring depictions of bamboo, circles and characters from numbers one to nine; as well as special symbols from seasons, winds, dragons and flowers. The word mahjong means “clattering sparrows” because the noise of the tiles when mixing them resembles the sound birds make.
National Raisin Day
April 30
The word raisin means ‘grape’ in French, while an actual dried grape is ‘raisin sec’. Raisins can be green, black, blue, purple or yellow depending on what kind of grape is used. They can contain up to 72% sugars, which is mostly fructose and glucose. Eating raisins three times a day has been proven by the American College of Cardiology to lower blood pressure. It can take up to 4 tons of grapes to produce 1 ton of raisins. And, half of the world’s supply of raisins are grown in California.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Isiah Thomas – Professional Basketball – born in Chicago, Illinois
Lil Tjay – Rapper – born in Bronx, New York
