In Spain, there’s a Christmas tradition that’s even more popular than Christmas itself: La Lotería de Navidad. This national lottery is more than just a number draw; it’s a full day of festivities, drawing, and singing, and it always happens on December 22nd. The highlight of the lottery is when “El Gordo” (the Fat One) is drawn. In 2022, this prize is worth 4 million Euros! Altogether, more than 2.5 billion Euros in prizes are handed out on this single day, making many people very merry.
The way it works is a bit complex. There are only 99,999 ticket numbers (called billetes), but to sell more tickets, each ticket number is printed in multiple series, known as serie. For example, in 2015, 180 series of 100,000 tickets each were printed, totaling 18 million tickets, each sold for 200 Euros. However, you usually buy a décimo, or one-tenth of a 200 Euro ticket, for 20 Euros.
The good news is that each series has the same amount of prizes. So, if the winning number is 43905, anyone holding ticket number 43905 will win one-tenth of El Gordo.
To give you a little history, La Lotería de Navidad has been held annually since 1812, making it the second longest-running lottery in the world. The traditions remain the same, with students from San Ildefonso school drawing and singing the numbers and prizes. This process takes several hours due to the vast number of prizes, requiring students to work in shifts. Most winners donate part of their prize to the school. This event happens at Teatro Real in Madrid, where attendees often dress in extravagant, lottery-themed outfits.
Have you bought your chance at El Gordo? You still can! Anyone can join in the fun, but the last chance to buy a ticket is December 21st. So, hurry up! Good luck and buena suerte!
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