Growing up, my favorite night of the month was always the third Thursday. The tablecloth came out, the snack tables were unfolded, and the port wine cheese was unwrapped. That could only mean one thing: Brenda, Nancy, and Rita were on their way to gossip…er…play Mah Jongg with my mom. They’d sit around the card table “crack”ing jokes and “bam”ming tiles until someone yelled “Mah Jongg!”
Now, 53 years later, the four are still coming together each week to play, and Mah Jongg is seeing a “tile”wave of its own. First brought from China to the US in the early 1900s, the game is now trending among people of all ages, social circles, and snack preferences. According to the National Mah Jongg League (yes, that’s a thing!), they now have more than 350,000 members. That’s a lot of “jokers.”
Today’s game is hardly my mother’s Mah Jongg. Forget the folding tables and vinyl tablecloths – now, it’s all about beauty and accessibility. Local Ridgefield resident Peyton Cochran and Southport neighbor Sandi Wright “meld”ed tradition with modern style to launch Center & Spring, a company creating chic, functional game tables—made locally in Bridgeport.
It all started when Cochran, an interior designer, needed a table for a showcase and couldn’t find anything that fit her aesthetic—or her space. “Most tables had four legs that didn’t work in smaller rooms, or pedestal bases that felt too masculine—heavy, dark wood with felt,” she said. “I wanted something beautiful, feminine, and fun. It needed drawers for tiles and a place to set a drink.” This was a “game”changer, especially for the older generation who finds traditional set-ups frustrating—low surfaces, crowded legs, and inaccessible designs. “It wasn’t just about style,” Cochran said. “It was about making the game more inclusive.”
Wright was one of Cochran’s first customers. “I surprised my 81-year-old mom with a table for Christmas,” she said. “She loved it—and my mind started spinning with ways I could help Peyton scale this.”
Wright and Cochran quickly formed a “kong” like bond. Wright’s 25 years in business and social impact combined with Cochran’s design and craftsmanship, are now bringing the beauty of the game to people from all different stages of life. “Our first three sales went to a Gen Zer, a woman in her 50s, and an 88-year-old grandmother,” Cochran said.
So, what’s behind the game’s resurgence? In a world filled with screens, scrolls, and solitude, Mah Jongg brings people together, face-to-face, tile-to-tile, irl. It’s one place where ‘jokers” are welcome and “flowers” bloom all year long. “We laughed more on Mah Jongg night than any other time,” my mother said. “It was our therapy before therapy was a thing.”
And it turns out that Mah Jongg isn’t only good for the soul—it’s good for the brain, too. Studies show it can help improve memory and cognitive function.
Ready to hop on the Mah Jongg “bam”-wagon? Continuing Education programs in Ridgefield, Wilton, and Redding offer beginner classes for those who still think a “dot” is something you do with a pen.
So gather your friends, learn the lingo, and you’ll be “meld”ing like a pro in no time. Just don’t forget the port wine cheese. After all, some traditions are worth keeping. •
