Dreidel Drinking Games To Give You A Hanukkah Hangover

By Smitty December 7, 2012 12:45 pm Posted in Drink, Lifestyle Smitty g+ page

In Jewish culture, the dreidel — one of the primary symbols of Hanukkah — is used for one of the greatest purposes known to man: gambling. Players spin the top until all of their coins end up in one lucky person’s pockets. And everyone knows that gamblers love to drink. So it only makes sense that we’ve made the progression to dreidel drinking games. [Image via Shutterstock]

Plus, playing dreidel drinking games are fun, easy and the perfect communal game no matter if you’re lighting up the Menorah with the family or a doobie among friends. Anyone and everyone can play, unless your name is Hitler or Mel Gibson. You both have lost your privileges.

First, a quick dreidel crash course. The dreidel has four sides, each of which is marked with a Hebrew letter: נ (Nun), ג (Gimel), ה (Hei), ש (Shin). Together, those four letters have important meaning to the Jewish people. But for our purpose, you just need to recognize which letter is the one for when it’s time for your drankin’.

Now, on to the games…

Game #1: Drunk Dreidel

The most common dreidel drinking game.

Instructions:
- Everyone grabs a beer and sits in a circle around a large empty glass in the center
- The first player spins the dreidel and follows these rules: Nun, nothing happens. Shin, pour as much of your drink as you want into the center cup. Hei, drink half of what has been poured into the center glass. Gimel, double check to make sure your pants are Kosher because you have to chug whatever is in the center glass.
- Continue clockwise around the circle until you realize you’ve made a horrible mistake by playing this game

Variation:
If your drinking group is full of germaphobes, you can try this non-communal-drinking alternative…
- Everyone starts with an empty glass. There are communal beers and a shot glass.
- Follow these rules after spinning the dreidel: Nun, nothing happens. Gimel, add a shot to your glass. Shin, add a shot to everyone else’s glass. Hei, chug your glass.

Game #2: Drinking Dreidel

A great chance to force one friend to get drunker than the rest of you.

Instructions:
- Everyone starts with a beer
- Players take turns spinning the dreidel and follow these rules: Shin, spinner drinks. Hei, spinner picks someone to drink. Nun, everyone drinks. Gimel, everyone but spinner drinks.

Variation:
Too simple for you? Try some of these additional rules…
- Any player who spins 2 Gimels in a row gets to make up a new rule
- If a player spins the dreidel and it stays in the same place for more than 5 seconds, everyone must yell “Jew Spin!” The last one to do so must take a drink.

Game #3: Dreidel Waterfall

The simplest of the dreidel drinking games.

Instructions:
- Spin the dreidel
- Everyone chugs what they have in their hands until the dreidel stops spinning

Variation:
If you miss your sexually awkward adolescence, try this “spin the bottle” like variation…
- Spin the dreidel and whoever it ends up pointing at has to finish their drink

Game #4: Power Dreidel

A great opportunity to get your head spinning faster than a dreidel itself.

Instructions:
- Play with 4 dreidels at once with 4 people
- Make sure you have a ton of beers (because you’re going to need them)
- If your spin lands on Nun, you don’t have to drink. Hei, chug half your beverage. Shin, finish your drink. Gimel, give your drink to someone else to finish.
- Recommended for only the most holy or if a Rabbi is on sight to bring you back from the dead

Variation:
If this dreidel drinking game is too complicated for you, try this simpler alternative…
- Yell “Happy Hanukkah” at each other as loud as possible while chugging a case of Coors Light

Now go drink to the point where either someone converts or Adam Sandler’s The Hanukkah Song seems tolerable again. Both require some sort of divine intervention. Happy Hanukkah!