A Christmas Game Well Worth the Candle

T’was the week before Christmas, and thro’ the Victorian house no one was sleeping, not even a mouse. The lamp had been smashed, the furniture toppled. And the blind man continued to grapple and tackle.

I’m sure a lot of people are familiar with the children’s game blind man’s bluff (also known as blind man’s buff in the 19^th century). Played with a group, a blindfolded person attempts to tag or tackle the other members of the group by use of sound and touch only, while the group attempt to miss direct them. The blind person flounders and flails in the dark until they manage to catch someone. That person then becomes the blind man.

This was an incredibly popular game for adults and children alike in Victorian and early 20th century New Zealand.

They would play it at every opportunity. New Year’s Day, anniversary days, festivals, private parties, celebrations, and Christmas!

A Victorian Christmas day usually began with a church service.

Then, after a Christmas meal many in the towns and cities would take a day trip – which in New Zealand meant going to the beach. Others would come together for a community party in the fields or town squares with more music, dancing, and games.

The wealthy would return to their homes to enjoy their own private feast with friends and family before retiring to their parlours for their own singing, music, and games, but in a much more… ahem… dignified way, of course.

But the Christmas game of choice for rich and poor in New Zealand was blind man’s bluff.

Even the young Princess Elizabeth demanded to play the game at the Royal Christmas party in 1932. A request that the King and Royal Court were happy to oblige.

But, as it turns out, the game of blind man’s bluff that we know today is just one of many many variants of the game that were played at Christmas. The others being forgotten and lost to time.

In my collection of historical curiosities is a small number of 19th century lithographs. One lithograph, from a December 1893 edition of the London newspaper The Graphic, shows a game of bind man’s puff in action.

“BLIND MAN’S PUFF;” OR, A CHRISTMAS GAME WELL WORTH THE CANDLE

In this game, which always affords considerable amusement, a candle is placed somewhere with its flame about on a level with the player’s mouth. Some one is then blindfolded, and, after being turned round three or more times until dizzy or bewildered, is told to advance and blow out the candle. The victim’s efforts are ludicrously misdirected. He listens to treacherous whispers. He is pulled this way and that. Finally, if ever he gets near the candle and “very warm”, he blows a hurricane by many points of the compass in a wrong direction, and almost cracks his cheeks with futile effort.

Looking at the well-dressed family, with a house keeper, blind man’s puff was probably a less vigorous version of the game enjoyed by the well-to-do who didn’t want to sully themselves by interacting with the rabble.

But if your Victorian household wanted something a little more physical – perhaps ‘hot cockles’ was your game.

In this version, the blind man kneels on the ground – a member of the group then sneaks up behind him and punches him. The blind man then has to guess who did the punching!

Guess wrong and the next person gets to take a punch.

Or perhaps you would like to add some geography to your game. Then “the post” might be for you!

But if these all seem a little clean and tidy – and you don’t mind getting a spoon in the eye – then you might like to try blind man’s breakfast!

Here two blindfolded and seated players attempt to feed each other cookies from a spoon.

For those who felt that the game could do with a lot more groping there is blind man’s hunt.

The group has to keep still and silent while the blindfolded person “has to grope about and find the players by feeling with his hands”. Once someone was found the blindfolded person then had to workout who it was by touch alone.

One can’t help but wonder how many games of blind man’s hunt ended up in broken hands after a groping gone wrong….

If your group would like to introduce more risk to the standard blind man’s bluff then the “new” blind man’s bluff from 1932 is your game.

All the players except the one who is “it” are blindfolded. Then – while blinded – the entire group attempt to catch the person who is “it”, who, with no handicap, could easily avoid them.

Now, I’m not sure what the person who came up with this varient was expecting – but it strikes me that a group of blindfolded people all trying to catch one person who can easily slip between them woud quickly devolve into carnage. Running into each other, tackling eachother, and falling over themselves. Banging heads, poking eyes, spraining ankles …

I imagine that games of this “new” blind man’s bluff didn’t last too long before you had a room full injured children. Just the thought of running this at a childrens birthday party makes me want to cry.

If you prefer your game to have a touch of folk dancing and a continental European flare then French blind man’s bluff was an option!

The group hold hands in a ring and dance around the blind man, once stopped the blind man then speaks to the person infront of them and has to guess who they are based on their voice. If he guesses correctly then that person becomes the blind man.

Or follow the English lead and play the game naked!

200 nudists from the National Sun and Air Association did exactly that at Notting Hill, London, in 1931.

Unfortunately, the article doesn’t say how the 200 players avoided…. ahem…. unwanted contacts.

Or you could always use blind man’s bluff to hide nefarious shenanigans. For shame!

So if you find yourself a little bored this Christmas Day, consider reviving this old tradition of blind man’s bluff! Play the original version, pick one from the list, or make up an entirely new version!

Just don’t hold this blog responsible for any hot cockles related family feuds…

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!