What Is Chanukah All About?
I took a little journey through the Chanukahs of my childhood, which were filled with evenings of fiercely competitive dreidel games after the candles were lit, the meal was eaten and the presents (mostly socks and pajamas) were opened. We played for chocolate or nuts. When my Mother got bored she would start to eat her reserve, which was the beginning of the end. For all of you who need a little course in dreidel, there is a Hebrew letter on each side of the dreidel (a top made of wood, plastic, even clay) The player spins the dreidel and if it falls with the Gimmel up, the player wins the whole pot. If the hay is up, player takes half the pot. If the nun is up, player takes nothing and if the shin is up, player puts 2 in. You ante up again and another player has a turn. The letters stand for the phrase nes gadol hayah sham, a great miracle happened there. The miracle was that the small amount of oil found for the eternal light in the temple lasted eight days until more could be refined.
