The following project shows how dreidels appear in three different cultures: North America, Japan and Africa. Every culture has different characteristics that distinguish it.
North America
Shakers dreidel, made out of wood according to the African traditional working method of bending the wood using heat treatment, the same method is used to create the famous Shaking box that produced in Africa until this very day.
The design has very define and aesthetic lines, the dreidel is actually the box’s lid, which indicate the high work ethic among the African community members that present the box as a functional object while the toy feature of it is secondary.
Japan
Japanese wooden dreidel, made out of Maple tree. The dreidel assembled from two parts: the base and the dreidel.
The game takes place at the Japanese new year, and creates an entertaining social game between adults and children, and among the guests and hosts.
This is possible due to the fact that the dreidels are stacked on top of each other which allow more than one person to participate in the game.
Africa
African Dreidel, as a complementary product to the Kinara at the holiday of Kwanzaa celebrated among African-American in the United States.
The Kinara is a seven-branched candlestick used for lighting candles during the holiday, its shape is reminiscent of the roots of the tree because the essence of the festival is to remind those celebrating their homeland and culture in Africa.
The dreidel constructed of three different types of trees found in Africa: African walnut, mahogany and purple heart. The combination between the type and color of the trees creates a deep connection with African cultural and landscape.
