The tradition of dreidels
The dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a different Hebrew letter on each side telling the Chanukah message: a great miracle happened there. Each player places pennies, candy, raisins, M&Ms or nuts into the kitty.Players take turns spinning the dreidel.
“Nun” means nothing. You win nothing, you lose nothing.
“Gimel” means you take the whole kitty.
“Hay” means you win half of what’s in the kitty.
“Shin” means “put in.” You lose and must put one more into the kitty.
Whoever wins the most items from the kitty wins.
The tradition of Latkes
Latkes are shredded potato pancakes fried in oil. The cooking oil is symbolic of the jug of oil used to light the menorah for the eight days in Jerusalem. Latkes are traditionally served with applesauce and sour cream.
The tradition of gifts
At this time of year, we need to remind ourselves that it is better to give than to receive. With that said, sharing gifts with family and friends is very much a part of this holiday. Some families will give gifts on each night of Chanukah, while others may only share presents on the last night. It is also a time of year to help those less fortunate than ourselves.