A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, traditionally used during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Each of the four sides of the dreidel bears a different Hebrew letter: נ (Nun), ג (Gimel), ה (Hei), and שׂ (Shin), which together form the acronym for נס גדול היה שם (Nes Gadol Haya Sham, meaning A great miracle happened there).
The letters also represent different values in a traditional game played with the dreidel. When the dreidel lands on one of its four sides, players either put money into or take money out of the pot based on which letter is showing. The specific rules vary depending on region and community, but usually players start with an equal amount of money or tokens in front of them, and take turns spinning the dreidel. If it lands on Nun, nothing happens; if it lands on Gimel, the player takes everything in the pot; if it lands on Hei, the player takes half of what's in the pot; and if it lands Hei Shin (),the player puts one token into the pot.
Players typically continue spinning and betting until only one person has any tokens left. That person is then declared the winner and gets to keep all of the money in the pot. So while at first glance a dreidel may just look like a fun toy to play with, it's actually rooted in Jewish history and culture – making it much more than just a simple child's game!