Spanish people love the lottery. Every year, just before Christmas, on the 22nd December Spain has the world’s biggest state lottery, called El Gordo(The Fat One). This is considered to be the start of Christmas Celebrations.
The Spanish Christmas Lottery (officially Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad or simply Lotería de Navidad is a national lottery. It has been organized every year since 1812 by a branch of the Spanish Public Administration, now called Loterías y Apuestas del Estado
The Spanish Christmas lottery is the second longest continuously running lottery in the world, even through the country’s civil war.
People often start buying their tickets as soon as August.
Friends, family and co-workers usually buy the same number of the lottery ticket . Some people opt to share a ticket, which makes it more affordable for many, with the idea of also splitting the prize..
It is said that 75 percent of Spaniards participate in the Christmas lottery.