The spinning top (draydel)has been popular with different peoples and cultures throughout the ages. Ancient tops were discovered on the island of Sardinia,dating from the early Roman Period. The Spinning Top was used as a game of chance (luck) and on each of its four sides were engraved the initials P N H T : P - PONE = place (place your bet in the bank) N - NUDDA = Nil/zero (you lost) M - MESO = half (you won half the kitty) T - TUTTE = everything/all ( you win the whole kitty) This game of chance came to Europe and was particularly popular in Germany. In the Middle Ages the 4 letters were changed to the German N G H S (according to their Roman meaning) The Jews of Germany were the the first to adapt the game as one for children to play on Chanuka and changed the Latin letters N = Nicht, G = Gans, H = Halb, S = Shtel to the Hebrew (Ness gadol haya Sham=A great miracle happenned there). The Zionist movement changed the "Sham" to "Po". So in Israel we say: A Great Miracle happened Here! NES GADOL HAYA PO
