Kohathite: Dreidel Game Instructions for Hanukkah - A Fun & Traditional Hanukkah Game For Family And Friends

🎉 Dreidel Game Instructions for Hanukkah 🎉

A fun and traditional Hanukkah game for family and friends!

✨ What You’ll Need:

🔠 The Dreidel Letters and Their Meanings:
Each side of the dreidel has a Hebrew letter that tells you what to do on your turn:

נ (Nun) – “Nes” – Do nothing. The player does not take or give any tokens.
ג (Gimel) – “Gadol” – Take everything in the pot!
ה (Hey) – “Hayah” – Take half of the pot (if there’s an odd number, round up).
ש (Shin) (or פ (Pe) in Israel) – “Sham” / “Po” – Put one token into the pot.

(Together the letters stand for “Nes Gadol Hayah Sham” – “A great miracle happened there.”)

🕎 How to Play:

Start the Game: Each player begins with the same number of tokens (usually 10–15).
Make the Pot: Each player puts one token into the center to start.
Take Turns: Players spin the dreidel once per turn and follow the action shown by the letter that lands face up.
Keep the Pot Going: Whenever the pot is empty or has only one token left, every player adds one more token to keep the game going.
Continue Playing: The game continues until one player has won all the tokens, or until players decide to stop.

💡 Optional Rules:

If a player runs out of tokens, they’re out (or can ask another player for a “loan”).
Short on time? Set a timer—whoever has the most tokens when time runs out wins!

🎁 Fun Fact:
The dreidel game has been played for centuries as a joyful reminder of Hanukkah’s miracle and the courage of the Maccabees.

Happy Hanukkah!
May your spins be lucky and your gelt plentiful!

Kohathite