Playing Cards are said to have originated in China (first appearing as early as 9th century) and then spread through to India and Persia.

Playing cards represent the four seasons, via the four suits and you have 13 cards in each suit in order to represent the 13 phases of the lunar cycle. Ever noticed there are 52 playing cards, one for every week of the year.

Learn a New Trick!

1. Fan out the cards

2. Ask your friend to pick a card and memorise it

3. Split the deck in half, which means within two cards of the 27th card, or else the trick won't work, but don't sit there counting them out!

4. Tell your friend to put their card on one of the piles. put the other pile on top of this one.

5. Lay the cards out into 4 piles, so 13 cards in each pile.

6. Ask your friend if they see their card in any of the piles, discard all but the one pile containing his card.

7. Once again lay the remaining 13 card into four piles of 3 cards (x12 cards), discard the pile that the 13th card lands on.

8. Take top and bottom card off of each of the three piles and discard them, now stack the remaining cards. Take the top and bottom cards away and discard them, flip over the last card.

9. That final card left, should be your friend's