Playing dreidl at Hannukah is a highlight for most Jewish children. As a child Tevye attended a children's synagogue where they always supplied a sack of monkey nuts to use as chips. We usually opt for Smarties (similar to chocolate M&Ms). A dreidl is a four sided spinning top, with a Hebrew letter on each side. To start, each player puts two sweets (or nuts, or whatever ...) into the pot. Then everyone takes turns to spin the dreidl and follow the instructions for whichever letter lands face up:
- נ (Nun) - Do nothing
- ג (Gimel) - Win everything in the pot
- ה (Hay) - Win half the contents of the pot
- ש (Shin) - Put two into the pot
I usually skip the dreidl playing to grate potatoes and fry latkes (you can find the recipe on my Cookbook blog). Every year I make more than the year before, and every year the bowl ends up empty.
Overheard yesterday afternoon:
Star: It's Hannukah tonight
A-next-door: Hannukah! I love Hannukah!
Star: That's weird. You're not even a bit Jewish ...
Sounds like a lovely evening, Kathryn!
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to be Jewish to love Latkes either!{g} Where we lived in Canada, they were so popular you could buy them ready made, though they didn't taste as good as home-made. They were traditionally served there with apple sauce. Is that how you have them?
Mmmmm....
I obviously have not had enough breakfast yet, as I am drooling at your photo!
Dorothy
Yes, I have them with apple sauce. Dh has them with sugar. The girls have them either plain or with ketchup!
ReplyDeleteOh, how I love latkes!
ReplyDeleteAnd my girls are big fans of the dreidl too!
I hope your family had a wonderful Hannukah! (It looks as if you did!)