Children Nose Game – America

I first learned the nose game from my cousin when we were little kids. We played the game whenever an older person like my mother had assigned a chore. Basically, we used the nose game to decide the person to perform the chore.  Other than my family members, I do not remember seeing anyone else play the nose game. Although, my friend Grant once told me that he played it with his brothers at their house. I actually never tried to find out the origin of the game and why it was played that way. However, since my family mostly plays it, I like to think it is my family’s game.

The nose game goes like this: – “As soon as a chore is assigned, everyone around touch their noses as quick as possible. The last person to touch the tip of their noses is obligated to accomplish the chore. However, in some occasions, the fastest person to touch the tip of their noses would actually do the work.” I do not know why the rules of the game changed from the first person not to do the work to actually him doing it.

However, I believe it was because some individuals were too quick to touch their noses and might never have done any work. Therefore, it was a way of catching them.

Analysis

When Jordan was telling me about the nose game, it made not much sense to me. However I do know that there must be a reason behind its existence. Apart from being used as a method to find a person a particular task, I think the game is part of Jordan’s family culture. It is part of their folklore. It is part of what defines who they are. That is perhaps the one best reason behind the games existence in Jordan’s family. The game might sound and seem ridiculous but its subsistence that conveys some sort of relationship in Jordan’s family.

Just knowing the game might be enough to be considered a member of this family. That is how strong folklore can be. People always talk about bloodlines as a way of relating people, but folklore is equally important. Folklore like Jordan’s family folk children game can create a strong relationship between different people.  It is because folklore seems to pass on from generation to generation-through passive and active bearers. Therefore, no matter how much sense I can make of it, this folk game has a social importance in Jordan’s family. The game can make Jordan’s family to identify with each other.