A Hannukah traditional game

After lighting the Hanukkah menorah, it is a tradition in many homes to play the dreidel game: Each player starts out with 10 or 15 coins (real or of chocolate), nuts, raisins, candies or other markers, and places one marker in the "pot." The first player spins the dreidel, and depending on which side the dreidel falls on, either wins a marker from the pot or gives up part of his stash. The code (based on a Yiddish version of the game) is as follows:

* Nun–nisht, "nothing"–nothing happens and the next player spins.
* Gimel–gants, "all"–the player takes the entire pot.
* Hey–halb, "half"–the player takes half of the pot, rounding up if there is an odd number.
* Shin–shtel ayn, "put in"–the player puts one marker in the pot
The game may last until one person has won everything.


Build your own Dreidel

Spanish cut-out version

Happy Hannukah!

This celebration, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.