“CROSSWORD PUZZLE DAY” | Grandma’s Stories

Dec 20th “CROSSWORD PUZZLE DAY”

Crossword Puzzle Day on December 21st commemorates the birth of a challenging word game enjoyed by millions around the world.

The first crossword puzzles were published 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 stress of the day by focusing on something other than worldly problems.

HOW TO OBSERVE #CrosswordPuzzleDay

Buy a crossword book or find one online. Enjoy some popcorn while you puzzle your way through your favorite crossword! 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 is credited 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.