Hard Telling Not Knowing each week tries to answer your burning questions about why things are the way they are in Maine — specifically about Maine culture and history, both long ago and recent, large and small, important and silly. Send your questions to eburnham@bangordailynews.com .
No matter what the calendar may officially say, the summer season unofficially kicks off in Maine on Memorial Day weekend, bringing with it months of barbecues, beaches and visiting friends and family. Hopefully, that also means plenty of down time to engage in leisure activities just for the fun of it, like board games, parlor games and card games. Whether you’re at a camp by a lake in the woods, a cottage on the ocean or a campground — or just at home, on a long, lazy summer afternoon — these are some of the classic card games that have entertained Mainers both permanent and part time for generations.
For brevity’s sake, we’re not going to list the full rules for each of the games below. You can find full rules for these games and many thousands more on gamerules.com , an online compendium of just about every type of game imaginable.
What’s your favorite card game? Sound off in the comments below, or send an email to news@bangordailynews.com . Folks from Aroostook County or the Maritimes may recall this venerable card game that generations have enjoyed.
It is still a beloved tradition among people of French heritage in the region, and can be the cause of many friendly arguments .