About Il-Qbiz tal-Habel
Il-Qbiz tal-ħabel (skipping rope) in some form has been around since ancient days and no-one can definitively say where or when it originated, however it is known that the ancient Phoenicians and Egyptians skipped rope and within Europe it became popular with the Dutch who, in the 16th century exported the activity to America. The Europeans have jumped rope for centuries, though it wasn’t popular with the British, so it is unlikely that they were the instigators of its popularity here in Malta for so many years.
How to play Il-Qbiz tal-Habel
The game is played in various ways. A long rope would be used with two people holding an end and standing around 12 feet apart. The two would swing the rope in a single direction until it looped in an arc and began a rhythm. Various songs would be sung while the jumpers ran in unison through the rope and jumped at a point when the rope was low or hit the ground. If you timed your jump wrongly you would disrupt the swing and you would be eliminated. This would continue until all but one was eliminated and that person would be the winner.
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Malti (Maltese)
