The card game 500 has been a tradition in my family as far back as I can remember. A variation of whist or euchre, it has been around since 1904, according to Wikipedia. Apparently it was very popular until contract bridge came along, but I’ve only known two or three people outside of my family who have even heard of it. It’s easier to play than bridge, but harder than rummy or canasta and in my opinion more fun than pinochle. Fast-paced and challenging, it’s about equally dependent on luck and skill. The rules can be found in Hoyle’s Rules of Games and on the Internet but they’re not quite the same as ours, and we consider ours sacred.

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