Spain’s iconic Christmas lottery, El Gordo (The Fat One), returns on 22nd December, once again marking the unofficial start of the festive season for the entire nation.
All over the country, from bustling city cafes to local village bars, televisions will be tuned to the live broadcast of the draw.
It’s a uniquely Spanish spectacle that lasts for hours, featuring children from the San Ildefonso school in Madrid who half-chant, half-sing the winning numbers and their corresponding prizes in a mesmerising melody that has become the soundtrack to the holidays. And those prizes are nothing short of monumental.
El Gordo isn’t just a lottery; it’s the biggest and oldest in the world, distributing a staggering total of over €2.6 billion in prize money.
Your overall chance of winning any prize is a remarkably high 1 in 6.5, but the true heart of El Gordo lies in the décimo system. A full ticket costs €200, which is too steep for most people. Instead, Spaniards participate communally. Groups of friends, co-workers, families, and even regulars at a bar will club together to buy tenth-shares, known as décimos, for a much more affordable €20 each. It’s a social ritual as much as a gamble. This is why, when a big prize is drawn, it doesn’t just create one millionaire; it often “showers riches on an entire village, town or barrio.”
Hardly anybody wins the solitary millions seen in other lotteries, but far more people win substantial amounts, and they do so alongside their friends and colleagues.
In the weeks leading up to the draw, the entire country is abuzz. People debate their lucky numbers – perhaps a significant date or an old family digits – and many have their regular, trusted vendor where they buy the same number year after year, steeped in the superstition that certain selling points are luckier than others.
As the draw takes place, everyone waits to see the images of lucky locals celebrating wherever El Gordo has landed. The event is always preceded by El Gordo’s now-famous Christmas advertisement, a masterclass in storytelling that tugs at the heartstrings and perfectly captures the emotion of the season. It’s more than a game of chance; it’s a celebration of community, hope, and the shared joy that defines a Spanish Christmas.
Check out last year’s El Gordo
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