HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The tile game of Mahjong dates back to 19th-century China. The game is a mixture of luck, skill and for some, memorization.
It has taken new shape a few times as it has spread across the world, and with the help of social media, it is morphing again. It is so popular that some certified instructors have created full-time jobs out of teaching the game to new learners.
Anna Ford is one of those instructors. Part of getting certified is understanding the history of the game. Ford explained that World War I exposed more American soldiers abroad to the game.
They brought what they learned home with them and taught it to their wives. The game quickly gained popularity among American housewives.
“Then a group of Jewish American women formed the National Mah Jongg League, and that was in 1937. That’s really kind of the variant that we, most of us, play now,” she said.
The American version requires a card, one that is reconfigured every year. That card holds several options of tile combinations. If a player gets a 13-tile combo right, that player wins the game.
The way the game is played here has remained unchanged throughout the decades. What is evolving is who is playing and what it looks like. From bold and beautiful mats to customizable tiles, Mahjong has, for the first time, entered its aesthetic era.
“You want the tablecloth, you want the mat, you want the pretty tiles, the lamps, all the things. I definitely think that makes it more attractive, per se,” instructor Anna Ford said.
Looks, however, are just the tip of the iceberg, according to Ford. Social media has breathed new life into the game, exposing many to it for the first time.
“All over TikTok, even the celebrities are playing!” Ford said.
Influencers like Mahjong Molly have attracted tens of thousands of followers, all eager to connect.
Ford was first introduced to the game as a child, learning from her grandmother, but if she wanted to teach, she had to be certified.
“I found a girl in Birmingham who had been trained by Mahjong Molly. She had gone to Auburn around the same time as me, and she was like, ‘I’m happy to certify you,’” Ford said.
Since then, Ford has taught so many people that she’s turned Mahjongg into her full-time job. Her business is called Wanna Mahj.
“I travel, I love in-home lessons,” she said. “We do family lessons. I’ve taught husbands and wives and their kids. That’s been super fun. We’re going to get into the kids’ side of things and do some kids’ camps.”
She said that as more people of all ages are exposed to it, the more the view of what Mahjong is changes. She even said some of her older clients are abandoning bridge to take up Mahjong.
“I think that’s been like the biggest boom with this game is that more people are realizing, ‘oh, wait, this is not just like an American housewife game,’” Ford said.
A key demographic paying for lessons is young working women, like Krystina Berens and her friends. Berens said she likes it even more than Bunco.
“I just hope that [my friends] liked playing and so that we can have a group that gets together, weekly or on Sundays, just to play and have fun,” Berens said.
Ford has a girl group of her own that she enjoys playing with. She said she loves being able to pass on that kind of kinship to the next group.
“My whole goal with mahjong is just to bring people together. And this truly is the game that brings everyone together. Whether it’s your kids, your husband, your best friend, your family from out of town. Truly, you can play this game anywhere with anybody, at any time. It’s just the best!”
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