ANST - Dreidel question

[Seton1355 at aol.com]

Do you mean modern day dreydle playing?  In modern times, dreydle is played
only at Channukah.  (That's  not a rule or anything, it's just that I've never
met anyone who in March said 'Hey, let's have a rousing game of dreydle!')
Mostly children play it but adults will join in to amuse young kids.
However, in the ancient times (just post -Bible) a real gambling game was
played (by Jews and non-Jews alike)  using a spinning top with numbers or
letters or marks on it sides. This is why the dreydle game was adopted for
Chanukah , because when the Syrians (under Greek rule) would come by to stop
Jews from learning Torah, the young scholars could be pretending to play this
gambling game.  When the authorities were out of site, they'd go back to
reciting Bible passages with their teachers.
Is this what you wanted?
Phillipa Seton
> 
>  I have a question concerning the game of deiedel that is played at
>  Hannukah.  Does anyone know if this game was played only at Hannukah or
>  throughout the year?  Was it played only by the children or did the
>  adults play for recreation as well?
>  
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