Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that celebrates the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days in the Temple of Jerusalem. One of the traditions of Hanukkah is to play with a dreidel, a four-sided spinning top that has a Hebrew letter on each side. The letters stand for “Nes Gadol Haya Sham”, which means “A great miracle happened there”.
But what if you don’t have a physical dreidel to play with? Or what if you want to learn more about the history and rules of the game? Well, you can always use Google Dreidel, an interactive, animated version of the dreidel that you can spin right on your browser.
How to Access Google Dreidel
Google Dreidel was first introduced as a Google Doodle in 2011, and since then it has been available as a hidden feature on Google Search. To access it, you just need to type “dreidel” or “spin dreidel” on the Google search bar and hit enter. You will see a spinning dreidel on the top panel of the search results page. You can click on it to stop it, or click on “Spin Again” to spin it again.
How to Play Google Dreidel
Playing with Google Dreidel is very similar to playing with a real dreidel, except that you don’t need any currency or pot to collect or distribute. You can play by yourself or with your friends online. Here are the basic steps to play Google Dreidel:
1. Decide who goes first by spinning the dreidel. The highest spin, which is nun, gets to start the game. If there is a tie, spin again.
2. The first player spins the dreidel and performs an action based on the letter that shows up. The actions are as follows:
– Nun: Do nothing and pass the turn to the next player.
– Gimel: Take everything from the pot.
– Hei: Take half of the pot.
– Shin: Put one unit of currency into the pot.
3. The next player spins the dreidel and repeats step 2.
4. The game continues until one player has all the currency or until you decide to stop.
What You Can Learn from Google Dreidel
Google Dreidel is not only a fun way to celebrate Hanukkah, but also a great way to learn more about the culture and history of the Jewish people. By clicking on the “Learn More” button below the dreidel, you can access various resources that explain the origins, meanings, and variations of the dreidel game. You can also find out how different countries and communities have their own versions of the dreidel, such as Israel, where shin is replaced by pei, which stands for “A great miracle happened here”.
Google Dreidel is also a good example of how technology can enhance and preserve traditional practices and values. By creating an online version of the dreidel, Google has made it possible for anyone, anywhere, to enjoy and appreciate this ancient game. Google Dreidel is a testament to how innovation and tradition can go hand in hand.
So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and spin a virtual top for Hanukkah with Google Dreidel!
