Article Text

The clatter of Mahjong tiles now draws 20 players, ages 28 to 82, to a different Arlington-area home each week, turning a centuries-old Chinese game into a growing intergenerational tradition in suburban Virginia.

What began several years ago as a small circle of retirees has expanded to include people from a range of backgrounds and skill levels. This holiday season, the group is welcoming more newcomers in hopes of sharing the game and carrying its traditions forward.

“We’re not just playing a game, we’re preserving a tradition,” said founding member Eleanor Wu, 74. She learned Mahjong from her grandmother and now teaches players younger than her grandchildren, emphasizing the memory, strategy and personal connections involved.

Wu hosted the group’s first Yuletide celebration, decorating her home with holiday lights, red paper lanterns and lucky knot ornaments commonly associated with Lunar New Year. Fraser fir candles and warm gingerbread added to the festive setting around the folding game tables.

“The heritage of Mahjong and the joy of the holidays belong together,” Wu said. “They both keep traditions alive.”

Peppermint bark and gingerbread cookies were served alongside Rolling Donkey, a chewy rice confection dusted with soybean flour. Wu chose the dessert because of its association with reunion. She also prepared themed scorecards, jingle-bell pencils and small Mahjong tile ornaments for guests to take home.

Players switch between traditional Chinese rules and American adaptations depending on the host. Experienced members share tables with beginners, and patience and encouragement are central to the gatherings.

Jared Thompson, 32, joined last winter after noticing a flyer in the lobby of his Herndon apartment building. Although he had not grown up playing Mahjong, he said Wu taught him the fundamentals in a single evening.

“I came to learn how to play the game, but I’ve found a new group of friends and have learned about another culture,” Thompson said.

The circle views its role as both cultural and communal as Mahjong attracts younger players. Members have begun collecting photographs and short accounts of their gatherings for a booklet they hope to share with future participants.

Heather Winstead, 28, joined with her mother earlier this year and called the group the most intergenerational activity in her life. She said part of its appeal is competing against someone in their 80s using the same tiles and strategies.

Beginners do not need any previous experience. The group supplies spare tiles, instruction and, during the holidays, warm cocoa.

“We’ll teach you,” Wu said. “We’ll probably lose to you by your third game. And if it happens during the holidays, we’ll toast your win with cocoa.”

For the group’s expanding membership, each weekly game offers more than competition. It creates a place where friendship, cultural heritage and holiday traditions can pass from one generation to the next.