Houston – It’s not uncommon to see a business donate to local charities but, Celebrate by Lisa Lou in the Tanglewood goes above and beyond.
100% of the store’s profits go to children’s charities.
At Celebrate you’ll find everything you need to create a beautiful tablespace or host gift but it isn’t just a decor and gift store. Owner Lisa Zook regularly hosts Mahjong parties to encourage community and and introduction to American Mahjong. The centuries-old game has taken the world by storm in recent years and Celebrate by Lisa Lou jumped on the bandwagon. Instructors will teach you the fundamentals of the game, and they’re confident you’ll leave with a newfound Mahjong obsession! The classes at Celebrate are good for beginners or anyone wanting a Mahjong refresher.
Lisa joined us on Houston Life and brought her director of events Karen Edmonds and some friends to give show the basics and tell us how the game found a resurgence in the South. Watch their entire interview in the player above.
If you’re not familiar with Mahjong, it translates to “sparrow” in Mandarin, referencing the sound of the times being shuffled, which was said to resemble chirping birds. The origins of the game is debated but is believed to have evolved in China during the Qing Dynasty. It was brought over to the United States in the 1920s by a businessman living in China. Interest declined during the 1930s and 1940s but then saw a spike in the 1950s. Now, Asian-American communities have reclaimed the traditional Chinese Mahjong while other variations were created for Western audiences with personalized tiles, aesthetic mats, and extravagant accessories.
Here’s how to play:
The objective of the game is to form a complete hand of 14 tiles by creating specific sets, such as three-of-a-kind, four-of-a-kind, or runs, and declaring “Mahjong.”
The basics of the game consists of players taking turns drawing one tile and discarding one to maintain 13 tiles.
To build a set you can create a pung (three consecutive tiles), chow (a sequence of three consecutive numbers in the same suit), kong (four identical tiles), or a pair (two identical tiles)
To declare Mahjong and win you must have a hand that consists of four sets and a pair (chow, chow, pung, pung, pair)
To learn more about the game from the National Mah Jongg League, click here.
If you’re intrigued, Celebrate by Lisa Lou wants you to get in the spirit as well! They’re offering a special discount for Houston Life viewers. You can get 15% off “Mahj and Mingle” classes and other calendar events happening at the store through January. Enter “MAHJONG15″ when signing up. Visit their website for more information.