Culture

World's most popular board games

Oware from Ghana

Forget video games - board games are still played the world over. Oware is Ghana's national game and is played all over West Africa. The aim is to distribute the stones clockwise in the pockets on the wooden board.

World's most popular board games

Ludo around the world

"Ludo" is Italian for "I play." The game was developed in England as a simplified version of the old Indian game Pachisi, then quickly took over living room tables across the whole region. As a result, there are many slightly different variations of the game, which is meant for two to four players.

World's most popular board games

Carambole in Afghanistan

Carambole, also known as Carrom, is a favorite pastime in Afghanistan. The game uses a board with a hole in each corner and nine black, nine white and one red stone. With the help of a striking stone, the players try to get the other stones into the corner holes on the board. That's why the game is also known as finger billiard.

World's most popular board games

Table cricket in Australia

Australian cricket fans don't have to head to the pitch - they can play a mini version of the game at home. The bowler and the batsman are the two most important players in the game. Here, the role of the bowler is taken by a little slide that puts the ball in play. The human player then manipulates the batsman figure. The other figures are positioned all over the field to catch the ball.

World's most popular board games

Tavli and Tavla in Greece and Turkey

Widely known as backgammon, the board game is one of the oldest in the world. Sipping mokka in Turkish and Greek cafes, people play for hours. For backgammon, strategy is very important - along with a smigdeon of luck. The first to claim all the pieces on the board is the winner.

World's most popular board games

Mahjong in China

Meant for four players, Mahjong uses 136 colored tiles. Each player receives 13 tiles and lines them up on his side of the board. Players then draw and discard tiles. The winner is the first player to collect a set combination of tiles and call out, "Mahjong!"

World's most popular board games

Russian shashki

The Russian version of checkers, shashki, is a strategic board game for two players. The game uses 24 tiles, generally 12 white and 12 black. Players can capture their opponent's tiles by jumping over them with their own. The winner is the player who puts his opponent in a deadlock situation, where all their tiles have either been captured and removed or can no longer be moved.

World's most popular board games

Loteria in Mexico

The Mexican board game Loteria is comprised of 54 cards with pictures and names on them. Each player randomly draws a card and reads out its name. The player who has the corresponding card in his possession marks it with a special chip. The first player with four marked cards in a row calls out "Loteria!" - and is the winner. It's a game of chance similar to the American game, Bingo.

World's most popular board games

Monopoly in the US

It looks like it came straight from Wall Street, but actually originated in the US back in the early 20th century. Each player receives money to start off with, and then invests it in real estate. The winner is the first player to build up an empire and drive his opponents to bankruptcy.

Author: Mehrnoosh Entezari / kjb | Editor : Helen Whittle

Brazil's Oktoberfests

Little Germany

Blumenau is the most famous German settlement in Brazil and is known for its traditional German-style half-timbered houses. The 300,000-person town in the southern region of the country was named for the German pharmacist, Dr. Hermann Blumenau, who led the first group of colonists and founded Blumenau in 1850.

Brazil's Oktoberfests

Dres up

In southern Brazil many cities celebrate Oktoberfest, but the event in Blumenau is by far the largest. Some 600,000 visitors attend each year, making it the second largest Oktoberfest in the world and also the second largest fair in Brazil after Carnival. Entry costs between 2.50 and 7.50 euros ($3.30-9.80), but if you show up in a dirndl or lederhosen, you get in for free.

Brazil's Oktoberfests

Hans and Hannah

Every Brazilian Oktobfest has its own mascot, which makes an appearance at the fairgrounds each day and participates in the parades. In the southern Brazilian city of Igrejinha, the stereotypical German couple Hans and Hannah take on the role of mascot. For their 10th birthday in 2008, two children were added: Frederico and Alice.

Brazil's Oktoberfests

The royalty

The Oktoberfest queen and her two princesses represent the festival all year round. Each city has its own tradition. In Blumenau, the Oktoberfest royalty are reminiscent of American beauty pageant contestants.

Brazil's Oktoberfests

Your royal highness

The city of Itapiranga, however, has modeled its royalty contest on the traditional German wine queens, which are crowned at harvest time in the Moselle-Rhine region.

Brazil's Oktoberfests

Touch of Carnival

The parade is a highlight of the festival. In some Brazilian cities, like Santa Cruz do Sul, several parades take place. The Oktoberfest queen gets a seat of honor on an elaborately decorated float. The parades are similar to those held in the Rhineland during Carnival.

Brazil's Oktoberfests

Bottoms up!

The grand finale each year is the beer drinking contest. The winner is the first participant to consume a liter of beer without spilling any. The beer isn't important, but comes from national or local breweries and has names like "Our beer," "Magic beer," or "Railroad."

Author: Christine Weise / kjb | Editor : Michael Lawton