Table shuffleboards go by a variety of different names. They’re known as American shuffleboards, slingers, quoits, indoor shuffleboards, shuffle pucks, and even sandy tables. However, no matter what they’re called, they all involve playing the same game.

It’s a game where players push weighted pucks down a long, smooth wooden table into a scoring area at the end. It’s a game that combines skill and strategy, so it’s no wonder that it’s played all around the U.S.

It’s also no wonder that a whole holiday has been created around this game. A holiday known as National Table Shuffleboard Day, which is observed annually on September 17th.

The History of National Table Shuffleboard Day

Shuffleboard is a game that’s been around for quite a long time now. It was first invented during the 16th century in the parlors, pubs, and taverns of the United Kingdom. Its original name was “Shove a Penny,” and it was basically a game where players shot coins down the end of the bar to get as close to the edge as possible without toppling over.

No pub patron gave it too much thought, however. It was just a game that people could play while they enjoyed a pint or two. What happened is that the nobility took a liking to it and decided to have specially made tables for the game commissioned.

Now, the aristocracy couldn’t be seen using ordinary pennies to play the game, so they went ahead and had special pucks made as well. The game instantly became a hit, and it was played by nobles, soldiers, and commoners all across Great Britain.

This would lead to King Henry VIII outlawing the game due to soldiers being too distracted by it to practice sword fighting or archery. Shuffleboard would end up being brought to the U.S., where it became a popular game in bars along the East Coast.

Even so, it was looked down upon by the Puritanical settlers, and it would be many years before it gained any sort of acceptance in the United States. The game began to become popular in the 1950s, and by the 1970s, the International Shuffleboard Association was created.

A few years later, National Table Shuffleboard Day was created; a holiday that table shuffleboard enthusiasts continue to observe to this day.

Observing National Table Shuffleboard Day

Most people don’t have too many problems observing National Table Shuffleboard Day — if they want to observe it. Either people have their own table shuffleboards, or they can find one at a local bar.

No matter how or where a person plays this game, they should be sure to include their friends in the fun. And while they’re at it, they should use the hashtag #TableShuffleboardDay on social media.