Historic Folk Toys: Game, 'Bamboo Pick Up Sticks'

Bamboo Pick Up SticksOur Bamboo Pick-Up Sticks are 7-1/8 inches long. The 41 sticks come packaged in a wooden box with a sliding lid. Box size is approximately 7-1/2 inches long by 1-3/4 wide by 1 inch high. Instructions and history are included.Historical Background: Stick games appear in many cultures. In 12th-century China, sticks were first used in predictions. The sticks were scattered to "base the reading of destiny." There was one stick called the "emperor stick." This oracle practice was adapted by the Japanese in the 16th century. The Japanese Emperor was referred to as "Mikado" from the word "tsuchimikado." The Mikado version of pick-up sticks was brought to the United States in 1936 from Hungary. The name pick-up sticks may have come from this children's nursery rhyme:One, two, buckle my shoe, Three, four, shut the door, Five, six, pick up sticks, Seven, eight, lay them straight, Nine, ten, a big fat hen."Before the Mikado version of pick-up sticks appeared in America, this