![]() Umm…I’m guessing the game had a different name then. So men played “Old Maid” to see who paid for the next round. The object of the game is to pair and get rid of all your cards until one luckless player is left with the “old maid.” Allegedly “Old Maid” derived from an ancient gambling game in which the loser had to buy the drinks. Others declined a marriage career or were “unlucky in love.” Until the late 19th century, such women depended on the largesse of family members and became that family fixture known as the ‘maiden aunt.’Īn already bad situation was made visually worse by a popular Victorian card game called, “Old Maid.” Sometimes a garishly illustrated deck was printed for the game, but any deck of playing cards could be used if three of the queens were removed. ![]() Some women were thrust into the situation by circumstance - various wars having removed potential partners. How dreadful to pass the age of 25-30 and dry up. Up until the 21st century, never married women were looked upon with pity. And yet, I think the day shouldn’t pass completely unnoticed. Saturday, June 4th was National Old Maid’s Day, still on the list of June holidays and observed with reluctance by writers who rush to assure us modern women do quite well without marriage.
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