Judaica in Art – The Design of Dreidels Through the Ages

One of the most iconic symbols of Chanukah is the dreidel, a spinning top with Hebrew letters on each side. Simple enough. But have you ever wondered about how the design of the dreidel evolved over time? From ancient to modern, let’s take a closer look at the history and design of dreidels through the ages.

Origins of the Dreidel

The dreidel has a long and fascinating history that dates back to ancient times. Some historians believe that the four-sided top originated in ancient Greece and spread to the Middle East. Similar to dice, each side of the top represented something different and were used in various games.

Some theorize that Roman soldiers later brought their spinning tops to England. By the Middle Ages, gambling games using these tops spread to Europe. The post What is a Dreidel? – History and Meaning of Dreidels: 8 Interesting Facts, describes how these games were played:

‘…Reflecting the Roman origins of the game, these English tops had the letters A, D, N and T on their four sides. These stood for the Latin Aufer (“take” – take a coin from the pot), Depone (“put” money into the pot), Nihil (“nothing” – do nothing on that turn) and Totum (“everything” – win all the coins in the pot). The game quickly became known as Teetotum, a corruption of the Latin word Totum, which was the luckiest spin…’

Do these rules sound familiar? These dreidel-like tops eventually made its way to other areas and cultures, including the Jewish community.

The Dreidel in Jewish Tradition

In Jewish tradition, the dreidel is associated with the story of Chanukah. When the Syrian-Greeks forbade Torah learning, Jews gathered in secret to study Torah. To conceal what they were doing from approaching enemy soldiers, they hid their texts and played with spinning tops to make it seem like they were playing games. The four Hebrew letters on the modern dreidel – Nun, Gimel, Hey, and Shin – stand for the phrase ‘Nes Gadol Haya Sham’, which means “A great miracle happened there,” referring to the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days in the Temple.

Why wasn’t the ancient Jewish Chanukah dreidel passed down to later Jewish communities? I can only guess that after the enemy was defeated, these games were no longer needed to thwart the Syrian-Greek soldiers. People returned to studying Torah and forgot about the dreidel.

The Design of Dreidels Today

Above images by Ri Butov from Pixabay

Over the centuries, the design of the dreidel underwent many changes. Today, dreidels come in all shapes, sizes, and materials, from traditional wooden tops to plastic and metal versions. In addition to the traditional Hebrew letters, some dreidels also have elaborate designs, making them popular collectibles and gifts during the holiday season.

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