A dreidel is the four-sided spinning top traditionally played with during Hanukkah.
Each side bears a Hebrew letter: nun, gimel, hei, and shin in the Diaspora. Together they form an acronym for “A great miracle happened there,” referring to the Hanukkah story. In Israel, the shin is commonly replaced by pe, producing “A great miracle happened here.”
Players usually begin with equal tokens such as coins, nuts, or chocolate gelt. The letter facing upward determines whether a player takes the pot, takes half, adds to it, or receives nothing. Rules vary between families and communities.
A popular traditional explanation links the game to Jews studying Torah under Seleucid rule, supposedly using spinning tops to disguise their learning. Historians note that the modern dreidel game also resembles European spinning-top gambling games, so its precise origin is more complex than the legend suggests.