Dreidel (pronounced DRAY-DL) is a game that Jewish children and adults play during the holiday of Chanukkah (pronounced Han-new-kah.)  It’s a game of chance that’s played with pennies, candy, nuts, or �Chanukkah gelt� — gold foil�wrapped chocolate coins — whatever �currency� the players agree on.  The goal of the game is to accumulate as much of the currency as possible.

The game begins with each person putting one piece of their currency into the middle.  Each person gets to spin the dreidel one time before handing it to the next player.  The first player spins the dreidel.  What happens next depends on which letter is face up when the dreidel falls.

	NUN — The spinner does nothing and hands the dreidel to the next player.  Some people have the rule that everyone except the spinner has to put in another piece of currency.
	GIMMEL — The spinner takes the whole pot, and everyone puts in another piece of currency. The next player spins the dreidel.
	HAY — The spinner takes half the pot.  Some people have the rule that everyone except the spinner has to put in another piece of currency.  Others play that no one puts in another piece of currency until all the pot has been taken.  The next player spins the dreidel.
	SHIN – The spinner puts one or two pieces into the middle, but no one else does so.  The next player spins the dreidel.

Dreidels are made in a wide variety of materials.  Over the years, decorating dreidels has become a Jewish art form and many people have dreidel collections.

The letters on the dreidel stand for a Hebrew phrase: Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, which means �A great miracle happened there.�  The word �there� refers to the land of Israel.  In Israel, the letter (shin) is replaced by the the letter (peh), which means �here.� Thus, �a great miracle happened here.�