The dreidel is a traditional toy used in the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. It is a four-sided top with a Hebrew letter on each side: נ (nun), ג (gimmel), ה (hei), and ש (shin). These letters are the initials of the Hebrew phrase “נס גדול היה שם” (Nes Gadol Hayah Sham), which means “a great miracle happened there.” The dreidel is used in a children’s game played during Hanukkah, in which players take turns spinning the dreidel and performing certain actions based on which letter it lands on.
Each letter has a corresponding action associated with it:
- Nun: Do nothing
- Gimmel: Take the entire pot
- Hei: Take half of the pot
- Shin: Add one game piece to the pot
The game is typically played with small candies or chocolate coins, which are used as the game pieces. The object of the game is to collect as many game pieces as possible.
