Fast Facts
- Hanukkah lasts for eight nights because of a miracle in which a tiny bit of oil—just enough for one day— kept the Temple’s lamp burning for eight whole days.
- Dreidels have four letters—Nun, Gimel, Hey, and Shin—that stand for a phrase meaning “A great miracle happened there."
- Hanukkah is also called the Festival of Lights because families light a special candleholder called a menorah (or hanukkiah) to brighten each night of the celebration.
- The gold foil wrapped chocolate coins that are handed out at Hanukkah are called “gelt”.
A dreidel is a small spinning top that people play with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. It has four flat sides, and each side has a special Hebrew letter. These letters stand for a phrase that means “A great miracle happened there,” reminding everyone of the Hanukkah story. Long ago, when Jewish people weren’t allowed to study their traditions, children would pretend to play with a dreidel to hide what they were really learning. Over time, the dreidel became a fun holiday game.
To play, each person starts with a few pieces of candy, chocolate coins, or other small treats. Players take turns spinning the dreidel, and the letter it lands on tells them what to do—like take a piece of candy, give one away, or do nothing at all. The game continues until one person has all the treats. The dreidel helps make Hanukkah joyful, playful, and full of friendly excitement.
This year, Hanukkah is celebrated from the evening of Sunday, December 14 to December 22. Happy Hanukkah!
Sources and additional information:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/how-to-play-dreidel/
https://www.history.com/articles/8-things-you-should-know-about-hanukkah