A favorite Hanukkah tradition for families around the world is to play a fun and simple game called dreidel. Spin the dreidel, and you’re not just playing a game — you’re connecting to centuries of tradition, storytelling, and miracles. Each of its four sides carries a Hebrew letter, and together they tell a tale of resilience, faith, and a little oil that lasted a miraculous eight days. Curious to know more? Here's what the story is behind this beloved Hanukkah tradition, and how to play.
The Hebrew word for dreidel is sevivon, which means "to turn around" in Yiddish. The dreidel has four sides, each with a Hebrew letter: nun, gimel, hey, and shin. Together, they represent the saying, "Nes gadol hayah sham," which translates to "a great miracle occurred there."
What does it mean? "There" refers to Israel, and "the great miracle" refers to the Hanukkah miracle, when a small amount of oil lasted eight days. This miracle allowed the Jews, celebrating their victory over the tyrant King Antiochus, to keep the menorah in the rededicated Temple lit for eight miraculous days.
If it seems like Hanukkah is celebrated on different dates each year it's because Hanukkah follows the Hebrew Calendar. It typically begins in December, but it can start as early as end of November and there are years it ends in early January like this year it's: December 25, 2024 though January 2, 2025.
Enjoy your latkes and spin the dreidel!
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How to play dreidel
Dreidel is a simple, but fun game that even the youngest kids in the family can enjoy!
What you'll need:
- At least one dreidel - feel free to use more
- Lots of small items such as: chocolate coins / gelt, pennies, beans, or small candies to distributed equally amongst the players. You can start with any amount, but 10-15 pieces each is good.
How to play:
- Each player puts one item from his pile into the center, making a "pot."
- Players take turns spinning the dreidel. The Hebrew letter that comes up when it lands determines what the player must do - explanation below
- At the end of a player's turn, every player places another token into the pot.
- When the player runs out of pieces, they are either out of the game or can ask another player for a loan.
What do the Hebrew letters on the dreidel mean?
Each letter corresponds to a Yiddish word and represents an action in the game.
Here's what each letter means in the game:
נ Nun - "Nothing": The player does nothing. This comes from the Yiddish word "nul," meaning zero.
ג Gimel - "Everything": The player takes everything in the pot. Derived from "gantz," meaning whole.
ה Hey - "Half": The player takes half the pot. If there’s an odd number, they can round up. From "halb," meaning half.
ש Shin - "Give": The player adds one piece to the pot. Based on "shenk," meaning give.
Tips for first-time players
- Just know that it can take some practice to spin the dreidel, and some spin easier than others
- Little ones might need a little more help to get it spinning
- If you play with edible items you will need extras since some might magically disappear
- Great options are pennies, dried beans, chocolate coins, small candies or small toys
- Pennies and M&Ms are my family's favorites
Whether you're playing for fun, family bonding, or to keep tradition alive, dreidel is more than just a game — it's a joyful celebration of Hanukkah's miracles and a reminder of the enduring power of faith and resilience - Happy spinning!
 dreidel by arinahbich from Getty Images via Canva |
Find your Family Fun this Hanukkah:
- If you are looking for local Hanukkah events look at the calendar
- 8 Ideas To Celebrate Hanukkah
- ✨ 12 Ways To Make Holiday Memories . . . Without Spending a Lot of Money
- Light a Virtual menorah
- Learn the Story of Chanukah / Hanukkah
- Family Fun Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah / Chanukah
- Edible Crafts for Chanukkah
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Happy Hanukkah
