VIRTUAL JEWISH MUSEUM

The dreidel is strongly associated with Chanukah. The legend explains that Jews used them when gathering to study Torah, during the period when such study was banned by the Syrian Greeks.  If discovered, they would explain that they were simply playing a gambling game.  Much later, a similar game was popular in Europe, using a 4 sided top.  A proper dreidel ('spinner') - called a Sevivon in Hebrew - is 4 sided, bearing a Hebrew letter on each side. Nun indicates 'no action', Gimmel allows you to 'take the whole pot', Hey means 'take half' and Shin requires you to 'contribute'.  The 4 letters represent a 4 word phrase: 'Nes Gadol Haya Shom', meaning 'A Great Miracle Happened There (Israel)'.  The Israeli version subsitutes Pey - 'Here' - for Shin/ 'There', as the Chanukah story of the Victory and Oil Miracle took place in the Holy Land.   
The dreidel is basically a toy, made from inexpensive materials.  Merchants and artists have taken it to other levels:  adding sound and light, incorporating into existing toy forms, and tying it to other merchandising items.  Artists have produced examples in silver, glass, porcelain and other materials serving as adult objets d'art rather than toys.  The possibilities are endless.  This site, and collection, emphasizes the toy and play aspect of the Dreidel world.