Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel

December 6, 2015

While our dreidel may not be made out of clay, it sure can spin! The dreidel is a four-sided spinning toy, and a game traditionally played during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Each side of our dreidel has a letter from the Hebrew alphabet written in black ink. When put together, they form the acronym NGHS: in translation, “a great miracle happened there.”

The rules of the game haven’t changed much since it originated in the Medieval period. Each player starts out with an equal number of game pieces, typically gelt. Players take turns spinning the dreidel and following the instructions for the side that lands up: do nothing, take the whole pot, take half the pieces in the pot, or place a game piece in the pot. This year, the first night of Hanukkah is December 6, so get your gelt (real or chocolate), ready!