Spin, Dreidel, Spin! - Hanukkah Bulletin Board Idea

Celebrating the holidays as a family and passing on traditions is an important part of every culture. While your students have likely grown up with traditions of their own, winter is a great time of year to broaden their worldview and explore together the history, traditions, and special meaning behind the various winter holidays celebrated around the world!

Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday {beginning December 8th this year and ending on the 16th} that commemorates the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Also known as the Festival of Lights, the celebration is observed with the lighting of a special candelabrum called a Hanukkah menorah. At the beginning of the festival, observers use a 'helper candle', called the shamash, to light the leftmost candle, then add one additional light on each night of the holiday, commemorating the eight day purification ritual performed by their ancestors as well as the miracle of the oil. Along with the menorach, the dreidel is another common festival symbol {and game played by families!} that also commemorates the miracle of the oil; the four Hebrew letters on them stand for the saying, “Nes Gadol Haya Sham,” meaning “a great miracle occurred there.”

Whether you're celebrating the festival or simply inviting your students to explore the traditions and symbols of this winter festival, we invite you to check out these bulletin boards from O'Block Books! They offer a great opportunity for hands on learning, incorporating fun dreidel crafts, and are sure to provide some colorful decor for your classroom!

[NOTE: To see how they completed the Dreidel crafts, be sure to visit O'Blocks Books!]