So You Think You're Interested in Hashing?

If, in your travels around the Upstate, you've come across odd markings on the road or sidewalk, markings made with flour or chalk, then you've just crossed paths with the Upstate Hash House Harriers. Currently, we hold hashes at least twice a month "usually on Sundays" with additional mid-week hashes, and hashes celebrating certain holidays.

The History of Hashing

Hashing traces its roots to the traditional British public school game of paper chase, in which one or two children will lead their friends on a chase, marking their trail as they go with slips of paper. The modern hash was founded by a group of British businessmen in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1938. The term "hashing" refers to the original meeting place of these men, a local restaurant they referred to as the "hash house."

It became the custom at these early hashes to have a tub of cold beers waiting at the end of the run; thus, hashing and imbibing were inextricably linked (although no hasher is ever required to drink alcohol, nor is a hasher derided for not drinking alcohol).

Hashing disappeared during World War II, what with the Japanese army being a bunch of killjoys and what have you. But the spirit of the chase and the party survived the war, and hashing began again in the 1950s, and became popular throughout Asia.

Hashing began to catch on globally during the '70s and '80s, and has now become what some consider to be the largest underground sporting activity in the world. Hash groups, referred to as hash houses, are completely autonomous from one another, yet all follow the same basic formula. There are more than 1,200 hash houses worldwide. Hash meccas include Kuala Lumpur, San Diego, and Washington, D.C., which hosts a large, annual Red Dress Hash.

While the basic principles of hashing remain pretty much the same as they were in 1938, many customs have been introduced and incorporated into the hash. Today, the trail is marked with flour, chalk or pieces of toilet paper. In addition to having beer at the end of the hash, most hashes also include