One Tuesday afternoon (September 25, that was), I sneaked out from work to experience a different kind of adventure. Early morning on that day, I received a 'text-invite' requesting my presence in a Dice Game to celebrate an old-aged Chinese tradition, usually held during the Mooncake Festival.
Unmindful of the voluminous legal works piling up at my office desk, I rushed to the "Chateau" to participate in the said event. Good friends, relatives and business associates came one by one, all looking forward to be part of the much-anticipated game. Except for some who is of Chinese descent, each of us remains clueless of how the game is played.
As explained to me, the game is commonly played by most Chinese in the Philippines in celebration of the Mooncake Festival. The game needs six dice and a bowl (in our case, a dainty red glass bowl). A player takes the dice and throws them into the bowl which may or may not yield a combination. If the throw produces a combination, a person wins a prize depending on the combination produced by his/her throw. As they say, the prize could be of anything--, appliances, food, or cash. In our dice game, it's raining cash!!! (Thanks to the affable host and the generous sponsor).
Indeed, cash prizes await lucky participants. Each combination of throws corresponds to a different prize. A throw with:
Indeed, cash prizes await lucky participants. Each combination of throws corresponds to a different prize. A throw with:
· One dice of four wins P100.
· Two dices of four wins P200.
· Three dices of four wins P500
· Four dices of the same number (except 4) also wins P500.
· Two sets of trio of any number wins P1,000.
· A straight (1-6) dice wins P5,000.
· Six dice of one to six or any three sets of 2 consecutive numbers also wins P5,000
· Five dices of four & six dices of any number qualifies for the jackpot of P12,000. The combination yielding the highest dice would win the elusive jackpot.
· And a combination of six dices of four or one wins all the prizes including that which everybody has won so far in the game (but in our case, the host modified the rules to ensure that everybody will win something)
The game began and we were all surrounded by piles of mooncakes (fresh from their red boxes). The first person threw the dice... Then the next… It was so much fun. There were cheering, bellowing, teasing and bantering. Then there were the cash prizes. As the game progresses, the yells and howls slowly come to fade. Everyone is now in focus. Everyone is now seriously playing the game, eyeing for the much-coveted jackpot. Each came up with their own unique technique of throwing the dice. Some would blow the dice first… The right-handed person would use his left… Some would intensely shake the dice. Some would use both their hands in throwing it. Others would whisper a soft chant for the dice. And so on and so forth… My first try won me P1,000. I smelled luck on my side. But then again, someone is luckier than me. After several rounds, she bagged the elusive jackpot and took home the top prize on top of the other consolation prizes at stake. At the end of the game, everyone is laughing. No one went home empty-handed. No one regretted having joined the game. As we were feasting on the mooncakes on the table, we talked about how the tradition brings good luck and good fortune to everyone and how it dates back from ancient times. But surely it is, deep in our thoughts, we are all looking forward to the next mooncake festival…
