X in Noughts and Crosses #atozchallenge

Noughts and Crosses, or Tic Tac Toe, is a very old game. There is some debate among historians as to when it first began (ancient Egypt or ancient Rome) and what was originally used to make the board and pieces. (It's suggested that it was four sticks, pebbles, and coins.) As it evolved, it became a game of unity between Christian and Jewish children.

The X represented Christianity, as it came from chi. (The Greek letters for Christos, chi (looks like an X) and rho (looks like a P), is an early symbol for Christianity and for Christ Himself. Emperor Constantine is likely responsible for crafting the letters together.) The o or 0 is a kikel, a circle in Yiddish. Many Jewish immigrants used an O rather than an X as their signature in the early days of Ellis Island. The 0 is also known as a nought. The name tic tac toe wasn't given until the 20th century.

The object of the game is to get three of your symbols in a row. Players take turns selecting one of the nine squares. Statistically, the player who goes first has the greatest chance of winning. Marking in a corner first is considered the best move. 

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The Master List - know what blogs are officially taking part in the 2021 challenge:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mvSm8FsuFVkOQulQ0EgzslGiNd8CZWWrqaRhCG8Sv4o

Well, What Now?

So, we have four days left in this year's A to Z Challenge, and I'm sure some of you are going to ask yourselves "Well, what now?" You've made some serious changes in your blogging lifestyle to get through this month (or not), you've probably made some new blog buddies, you've read some new blogs... and, if you're like me, you feel badly that you didn't do more...

Well, just because April is done and dusted doesn't mean you can't just keep going. To the best of my knowledge, no one's blog shuts down until the next challenge. No one says you can't read some of the blogs you didn't get to read during the month. That's what the Master List is for, so now would be the time, if you haven't done so already, to snag a copy of it.

You might want to go through your comments and make sure you've replied to everyone, and that you've visited everyone who visited you. You might even want to subscribe to their blogs. (By the way, did you know that you can subscribe to Blogger feeds using the Wordpress reader?)

Another thing you might want to do is start giving some thought to possible topics for next year's Challenge (you will be back, I just know it!).

We're going to do the A to Z Road Trip again this year, as always. Signups start May 10!

Hope you've had fun and found some great reading material. See you in the funny papers!

John Holton

Be sure your blog displays the participant badge so people know that you're doing the Challenge!

Please consider getting a t-shirt.

Be sure to get a copy of the Master List! Go here and select File > Save A Copy.

V is for Variety #atozchallenge

Today your challenge (should you choose to accept it) is to switch it up a little! Variety is good for creativity and good for the soul - especially in times like this when many forms of entertainment are not available, or have migrated online. 

So, change one thing today! Here are some options:

1. Find a Category on the Master List that you usually are not interested in, and visit some blogs!

2. Write a genre you don't usually write!

3. Read a genre you don't usually read!

4. Find a new challenge! (another blogging challenge, a reading challenge, a kindness challenge, etc.)

5. Try a new form of exercise!

6. Eat breakfast for dinner!

We are nearing the end of the A to Z Challenge, but it is not quite over yet. I hope you all are having fun posting and visiting! Don't forget to schedule a Reflections post (Reflections starting May 3rd) so you can tell us about the experience! :)