Each year on National Scrabble Day April 13th recognizes a game played around the world. Originally named Lexiko and then Criss-Cross Words, Alfred Mosher Butts eventually settled on the name Scrabble. The amateur artist and unemployed architect developed the word game in the midst of the depression. Still, it wasn’t until 1948, a final name change and a trademark that Butts finally began to produce the game.
Scrabble is played with two to four players who score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15 x 15 grid.
In the United States, the name Scrabble is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. Scrabble is sold in 121 countries with 29 different language versions. Worldwide, over One hundred and fifty million sets have been sold with sets being found in nearly one-third of American homes.
1984 – Scrabble became a daytime game show on NBC
2004 – Scrabble was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame
Some cities sponsor Scrabble tournaments on the weekend closest to National Scrabble Day
The word “scrabble” means to “grope frantically.”
NATIONAL SCRABBLE DAY HISTORY
National Scrabble Day commemorates the birth of Alfred Mosher Butts, born on April 13, 1899. However, our research had not identified the founder of the day.
Call your friends and play a game or two of Scrabble! Mix it up, too. There are several ways to play the game if you want to change things up a bit. For example, if you’re spending time alone, Scrabble solitaire challenges you at your own game of words. Another version allows players to only play nouns but they earn bonus points for playing nouns that are both a proper noun and an approved Scrabble word.
Once you’ve played a game, take the final board and create a crossword puzzle using this template. Develop hints to the words and see if others can solve the puzzle.
Do you have fun alternative ways of playing the game? Use #NationalScrabbleDay to post on social media.
As the holiday season fades away, our minds turn to our next opportunity for a vacation. While that may seem far off, National Shop for Travel Day on the second Tuesday in January reminds us to start planning now!
Today, there are more tools and resources than ever before to help us shop for that perfect trip. How we choose to travel, our accommodations, and where we relax and have fun has become mobile and virtual. Whether we’re planning a weekend getaway or our dream vacation, we can shop, compare, plan, and book all in just a few clicks.
Advancements made by travel technology innovators and intermediaries have not only provided us with the tools to expertly guide us through the booking experience, but they get us there, too. They connect us to the people who put us in the beautiful places we want to stay. Today, more than ever before, we can find just the accommodation we’ve been seeking and even tour it before we go, view ratings and firsthand accounts from other travelers, and catch a glimpse of what our trip will be like long before it begins.
Traveling for pleasure – or for work – can be a tremendous expense in both dollars and time, and you want the reassurance that you’re making the right choices whether you’re going home to visit old friends or visiting a city for the very first time. These apps and tools provide that confidence and actually make it fun to explore the limitless possibilities for travel.
Wherever and whenever you have your heart set to go, start shopping now. Whatever the trip may be, National Shop for Travel Day is the perfect time to visit an online travel company and book it.
The Travel Technology Association founded National Shop for Travel Day in 2018 to celebrate the joy of travel and the technology innovators who have transformed the way we all shop, compare, plan, and book our vacations. It’s a perfect time! Follow Travel Tech @traveltech on Twitter.
About the Travel Technology Association
The Travel Technology Association (Travel Tech) is the premier trade association for the travel technology industry. Founded in 1998, Travel Tech represents the leading innovators in travel technology. Travel Tech includes global distribution systems, online travel agencies, metasearch companies, and short-term rental platforms.
These technology innovators, directly and indirectly, create the infrastructure and the marketplace that travelers, suppliers, and intermediaries benefit from today. Travel Tech members transform the way we travel, providing suppliers and consumers with invaluable access to options while purchasing and managing their travel.
Technology has made shopping for travel easier. Not only can we comparison shop, but it also makes planning a lot easier. Celebrate the day by making a list of the places you dream of going, need to go, and would like to see again.
Compare hotels, rentals, and other lodgings available. Secluded cabins, RV rentals, and camping gear are available, too.
Check flights, trains, or even routes for taking a road trip. Don’t forget to plan stops along some of the country’s most scenic byways and historic routes.
Ask friends and family for the best travel agents to help you make the most of your travel plans.
Also, ask those friends about their favorite trips – business and vacations. They can help you find the best places to explore.
Find the ideal times of the year to travel for business and pleasure. If you’re trying to avoid crowds, the offseason may be the best time of year to travel.
Discover unique vacations that are worth writing home about.
Look for adventures that take you away from the crowd and give you a unique view of the world.
Make a list of places you would like to go and check the dates. Start shopping on your favorite sites or contact your travel agent. Use #ShopForTravelDay to share on social media.
