The dreidel game is one of the most famous Hanukkah traditions. It was created as a way for Jews to study the Torah and learn Hebrew in secret after Greek King Antiochus IV had outlawed all Jewish religious worship in 175 BCE . Today we play as a way to celebrate a rich history and have fun with friends and family!
Is a dreidel a religious symbol?
The dreidel is a commonly recognized symbol of the holiday. ... Unlike the menorah, the dreidel was not used in the temple. There are no blessings recited over its use. It is not associated with anything supernatural or religious .
How do you win dreidel?
Every player puts one in the pot after every turn. Each player spins the dreidel once during their turn . Depending on which side is facing up when the dreidel stops spinning, the player either gives or takes game pieces from the pot. If נ (nun) is facing up, the player does nothing.
What do the 4 Hebrew letters on a dreidel mean?
On each of the dreidel’s four sides is inscribed a Hebrew letter—nun, gimel, he, and shin—which together stands for “ Nes gadol haya sham ,” meaning “A great miracle happened there” (in Israel, the letter pe, short for po, “here,” is often used instead of shin).
What does dreidel stand for?
The meaning behind the dreidel
These stand for the saying ‘ Nes gadol haya sham ,’ which means “a great miracle occurred there.” However, when the dreidel is actually used in Israel, it will often read “Nes gadol haya po,” which means “a great miracle occurred here.”
What does a dreidel symbolize?
A dreidel is a spinning top with four sides, each inscribed with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. ... The letters form an acronym for the Hebrew saying Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, which can be translated to “ a great miracle happened there ,” referring to the miracle which Hanukkah is centered around.
What does shin mean in Hebrew?
Shin as a prefix commonly used in the Hebrew language carries similar meaning as specificity faring relative pronouns in English– “that (..)”, “which (..)” and “who (..)”. When used in this way, it is pronounced like ‘sh’ and ‘eh’. In colloquial Hebrew, Kaph and Shin together have the meaning of “when”.
How many gelt do you need to play dreidel?
All you need besides the dreidel itself is some sort of game piece. You can use pennies, nuts, jelly beans, or to stick within the Hanukkah vein, chocolate gelt. Whatever you choose, you’ll need about 10-15 pieces per player .
What is the meaning of Hanukkah gelt?
Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights. For eight nights in December, Jews everywhere light their menorahs, spin dreidels, give each other gifts, and spend quality time with one another. One thing that every Hanukkah celebration has in common is the gelt. The word “gelt” means “money” in both Hebrew and Yiddish.
What do dreidels say in Israel?
The Hebrew word for dreidel is sevivon, which, as in Yiddish, means “to turn around.” Dreidels have four Hebrew letters on them, and they stand for the saying, Nes gadol haya sham , meaning “A great miracle occurred there.” In Israel, instead of the fourth letter shin, there is a peh, which means the saying is Nes gadol ...
What’s the difference between a dreidel and a top?
As nouns the difference between top and dreidel
is that top is the highest part or component of an object while dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, inscribed with the four hebrew letters on each side, associated with and often used during hanukkah.
When was dreidel invented?
According to a tradition first documented in 1890 , the game was developed by Jews who illegally studied the Torah in seclusion as they hid, sometimes in caves, from the Seleucids under Antiochus IV. At the first sign of Seleucids approaching, their Torah scrolls would be concealed and be replaced by dreidels.
How do you play virtual dreidel?
To play Virtual Dreidel, each person begins with a pile of five pieces of gelt (gold coins that, in real life, are made of chocolate), and the pot in the middle will begin with four pieces of gelt. You’ll go around in a circle taking turns spinning the dreidel, hoping to score more gelt for your pile.
How is a dreidel used to remember Hanukkah?
It is customary to play games at Hanukkah. The most common game uses a dreidel and is a popular way of helping children to remember the great miracle. A dreidel is a spinning top with a different Hebrew letter inscribed on each of its four sides . ... The letter on which the dreidel stops determines each player’s score.
