Are presents and games associated with Hanukkah?
Like Christmas, Hanukkah is a special time for children. Gifts and Hanukkah money are exchanged. Some families give a small present on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. Children and adults play with a spinning top called a dreidel. This cube-shaped dice has a Hebrew letter on each side. To begin the game, each player has 10-20 objects, often raisins or sweets. Each person puts one object in the middle. Then each person takes a turn at spinning the dreidel. The letter that the dreidel shows when it has finished spinning determines whether they win or lose the stake. What food is eaten during Hanukkah? Hanukkah is a great time for eating delicious foods. Some dishes have special significance, such as latkes (a kind of potato fritter), pancakes and doughnuts. This is becuase they are fried in oil and so Jewish people remember the miracle of the oil lasting eight days in the temple.
