One site says: Our bet is on a phenomenon that occasionally crops up in donkeys. Some donkeys (in all sizes) are born with no tail, or only a short nub. Donkeys have tails that resemble a cows - long bone, covered in short body hair, with a switch or tassel at the end. Horse's tails have long hair covering the entire tailbone. The draft horses and carriage horses of times past actually had the tails docked (cut off) to prevent the tail hair from becoming tangled in the harnesses. http://www.lovelongears.com/notails.html Another site pointed more to the meaning of the game saying: Long ago, people believed that on a birthday a person could be helped by good spirits, or hurt by evil spirits. So, when a person had a birthday, friends and relatives gathered to protect him or her. One of the oldest birthday games is Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey. A large picture of a donkey without a tail is pinned to the wall. Each child at the party is given a donkey's tail made out of paper and a pin to stick through it. Then, one by one, the children are blindfolded. They are spun around a few times and pointed in the general direction of the donkey. The child who pins the tail the closest to where it should be on the donkey wins the prize. The games we play at birthday parties are often a symbol of trying to know the unknown. In this case, of course, the unknown is the future, or the new year of life that lies ahead for the birthday child http://www.triumphpro.com/birthdays_origin.htm

It was actually invented in the 1880s by Charles Zimmerling, who patented the game, which was then known as "Donkey Party". Selchow & Righter was an early publisher of this game, in 1887, though there were others that followed. Many games were invented and patented in this era. Other answers to this question on AnswerBag.com are fabrications.

Actually, it comes from AA Milne's Winnie the Pooh. Readers will recall the story of Eeyore losing his tail, which turns up as Owl's "bell push." Pooh realizes its origin and retrieves it. Christopher Robin nails it back onto Eeyore's posterior, and all is well.

Rick, I am interested in pin the tail on the donkey party games. Could you contact me? Thanks, George Schnitzer bbsgcs@aol.com