Card Suits and Symbolism – Card Symbols and Their Meaning
Card games like Teen Patti, Rummy, Poker, and Blackjack have long been a part of Indian culture. Many of these card games originated in India and are still widely played at festivals and other special occasions.
Though you play the game using your skills, knowing the significance of the card suits and card symbols motivates us to play our best. If you were unaware of these fascinating facts, now is the time to discover more about the deeper significance of playing cards.
Playing Cards Symbolism
A playing card is a specially prepared piece of card material. The French-suited cards are the most often used form of playing cards in popular card games such as poker and rummy.
The rectangular-shaped playing cards are of identical size and form, making them comfortable to grip in hand. Each card’s front side is distinctively marked to allow for rapid identification. The backsides of all the playing cards in a deck have the same pattern, making opponents unable to identify them. To prevent wear and tear, the corners of the cards are rounded.
[ Also Read About: Why Playing Cards Are Red And Black In Color ]
History of Playing Card Suits & Card Symbols Name
While the actual history of playing cards is unclear, many assume they began in the East and spread to the West. According to research, card games were popular in China during the nineteenth century. Around the same period, the French invented the tarot card deck for prayer and prediction, while the British invented their first card game.
The card symbols and card suits have developed over time. Originally identified as pips of sorcerers and goblets, the cards changed through time into printed versions of spades, diamonds, hearts, and clubs symbols. Card symbols are being used as designed logos for business branding and marketing.
A card deck now consists of 52 cards plus a printed joker. Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs are the four suits of the 52 cards. Each of the four card suits has 13 cards, and each card is unique to the rest of the deck. Each suit has three face cards, an Ace, and numbered cards ranging from 2 to 10. Face cards were popular in Europe for centuries. In most games, the Ace card takes precedence over all numbered and face cards. The ancient symbolism of playing cards reveals a lot about the culture and history of the countries where the cards were used to play games.
Card Suits – Playing Cards Symbols
Spades
The Spades suit, symbolized by ♠, is the highest-ranking suit in games that prioritize the card suit. The spade denotes the winter season, while the symbol represents the element of Water. The suit represents the pinnacle of human development when humans attain knowledge, change, and acceptance.
Hearts
The heart suit, symbolized by ♦, denotes the season of Spring. It also signifies the fire element and indicates the childhood stage of life.
Diamonds
The diamond suit, represented by ♦, denotes the autumn or fall season. The suit suggests that a person’s job career is progressing. A diamond card marks advancement, ethics, stability, dedication, and the element of Air.
Clubs
The club symbol ♣, represented by, denotes the summer season and the earth element. The club suit in playing cards represents youth, a time when a person is focused on education and carelessness.
52 Card Deck
A deck of cards contains 52 cards, one for each week of the year. Each suit has 13 cards, which correspond to the 13 lunar months. King, Queen, and Jack have numerical values of 13, 12, and 11, respectively. The total of the numerical values of all the cards, including the joker, equals 365, the number of days in a year.
Each card value in a deck of cards also reflects a keyword describing the card suit symbol’s personality. Here’s what each card value represents:
- Ace – Desire
- 2 – Union
- 3 – Faith
- 4 – Satisfaction
- 5 – Change
- 6 – Adjustments
- 7 – Victory
- 8 – Power
- 9 – New Beginnings
- 10 – Success
Furthermore, the court cards – King, Queen, and Jack – represent historical card suites characters as follows:
- King of Spades – King of Israel, David
- King of Hearts – King of France, Charlemagne
- King of Diamonds – Roman Caesar, Augustus
- King of Clubs – King of Macedonia, Alexander
[ Also Read About: Simple Actionable Tips To Use Queen And King In Online Rummy ]
Four Card Suits in A Deck of Cards
There are approximately 13 cards in a 52-card deck evenly distributed across four suits. Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, and Spades are the four card suits in a deck of cards. They all have some value and history to tell about how they got to be recognized.
The Hearts suit signifies the season of Spring. It is also seen as a model of the human childhood phase. This symbol represents the fire element. Summer is represented by the Club’s suit. It also portrays the young generation, when people rely on education and responsibilities. The earth element is represented by the club symbol card. Diamonds represent autumn. It also discusses the many stages of life and how to overcome life’s challenges. Simply expressed, it represents the production of money, growth, and values. The diamond card suits represent the element of Air.
Winter is represented by the Spades. It is one of the four suits’ earliest emblems. It also implies passing on information and wisdom at the end of the world. The logo represents Water. As previously stated, the total number of cards in the deck equals a numerical value. That amount represents the number of days in a year. The 13 cards in each suit symbolize 13 months in the lunar calendar, totalling 365 days.
