a kind of advent calendar of posts for hannukah: t-minus 8 days

For the first in my ad hoc (meaning totally unplanned and I hope I can come up with eight topics) eight-post series to build excitement for and remind myself of the meaning of Hannukah as the first night approaches in eight days.

Post the first: How to Play Dreidel

· Divide the counters equally among the players.

· Every player contributes one counter into a central pile. This becomes the “pot.”

· Players spin the dreidel in turn and contribute or collect items from the pot based upon which letter faces up when the dreidel stops its spin.

– Nun – Nes – (looks like a backwards L with a beret) the player collects Nothing from the pot.

– Gimmel – Gadol – (looks like a low-heel boot with a beret) the player Gets it all.

– Hey – Haya – (looks like a little hut) The player collects Half of the pot.

– Shin – Sham – (fancy upside-down W) The player puts one INto the pot; IN rhymes with Shin.

Nes Gadol Haya Sham = A Great Miracle Happened There

(If you buy a dreidel in Israel, it will have a Pey instead for Po, which means “Here.”)

If the pot goes down to one or is empty, everyone puts one in.

The player who collects the most items wins. Especially if you’re betting chocolate gelt.