EDITOR S NOTE

YOU LUCKY...

PIG???

This may or may not come as a surprise to you, or you might think I may be sharing a little too much with this month’s letter, but, I love pigs. There, I said it! Especially slot machines with pig symbols, a pig theme, or anything hog related in the casino. I just can’t get enough!

And, I must admit, I love pork too. Bacon, ham, tenderloin, ribs, the list could go on, but I think you get the picture. Moving on to my main point (about pigs) which is the reason behind my affection for all things “piggy” at casinos.

Since metal was both an expensive and scarce commodity across Europe during the Middle Ages, most household dishes and jars were made out of an orange clay called “pygg” which was an extremely durable and economical alternative at the time. Households put away their money for safe keeping in these “pygg” jars. Eventually, they just became known as “pygg banks.” As a visual pun, potters just began shaping the “pygg banks” into the shape of a pig as a joke and so it has remained. That’s why pigs are lucky!

And to top it all off, sauerkraut with pork is served on New Year’s Day in most parts of Germany, as cabbage leaves symbolize money and pigs are considered to be a good luck symbol. This custom originated with the German farmers who considered themselves fortunate to have a pig that could feed their families through an entire winter. If a German says to you “ich habe Schwein gehabt” or “I have had pig,” then what they are telling you is “I have had good luck.” Can you guess what I’ll be cooking up for my New Year’s Day feast?

Have a lucky month! Alexandra Alexandra Lang Editor-in-Chief Editor@AZGamingGuide.com

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VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 12 MANAGING DIRECTOR & VIDEO POKER GURU Elizabeth Torma liz@azgamingguide.com PUBLISHER & SLOT GURU Chris Höft chris@azgamingguide.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alexandra Lang editor@azgamingguide.com ART DIRECTOR Melanie Mueller CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Al Moe Matt Probst Mark Novak TJ Jorgensen Lana Hartmann Heather Foreman Samantha Becker Daniel Cruikshank ADVERTISING SALES Elizabeth Torma liz@azgamingguide.com Nina Consiglio nina@azgamingguide.com MAILING INFORMATION Arizona Gaming Guide P.O. Box 20636 Mesa, Arizona 85277 INTERNET INFORMATION AZGamingGuide.com Facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide

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