CROSSWORD PUZZLE DAY
Crossword Puzzle Day on December 21st commemorates the birth of a challenging word game enjoyed by millions worldwide.
#CrosswordPuzzleDay
Printers published the first crossword puzzles in England in children’s books and other publications. They were simple word games derived from the word squares where letters were arranged in a square so that the words read the same across and down.
The object of a crossword puzzle is to fill in the white spaces of a grid with the correct words using the clues provided. Black spaces separate individual words. The clues to more challenging puzzles read like riddles, making the game more complex.
Many tout the benefits of crossword puzzles. Not only are they fun, but challenging crossword puzzles may help delay the effects of dementia or sharpen the brain for problem-solving. They can also increase vocabulary and even relieve the mind from the day’s stress by focusing on something other than worldly problems.
HOW TO OBSERVE CROSSWORD PUZZLE DAY
Buy a crossword book or find one online. Then, enjoy some popcorn while you puzzle your way through your favorite crossword! We also suggest these fun ways to celebrate:
- Try completing different types of crossword puzzles like a cipher or a cryptic.
- Are you bi-lingual or learning a new language? Consider completing a crossword puzzle in your second language.
- Challenge someone to a race. Earn bragging rights for completing your puzzle first.
- Try your hand at creating a crossword puzzle. Sometimes forming the clues is more challenging than the puzzle framework.
- If you create your own crossword, see if you can fit a loved one’s name into it.
- Challenge yourself to complete a puzzle a day.
Use #CrosswordPuzzleDay to post on social media.
Educators, check out Week 15 of the National Day Calendar Classroom for a lesson designed for you.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE DAY HISTORY
Journalist Arthur Wynne from Liverpool receives credit as the inventor of the word game we know today. He created what is considered the first known published crossword puzzle. The puzzle appeared in the December 21, 1913, edition of the New York World newspaper.
Crossword FAQ
Q. What do we call the people who make the crossword puzzles?
A. A cruciverbalist is someone skilled at making or who enjoys solving crossword puzzles. Crossword puzzle writers also call themselves constructors.
Q. When is National Scrabble Day?
A. National Scrabble Day is April 13.
Q. What is the longest word ever used in a crossword puzzle?
A. The longest word ever used in a crossword puzzle is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. It’s the name of Welsh town and was used by Roger Squires, a prolific crossword puzzle creator. Telford Wrekin News published the puzzle in its July 1979 edition.