Beating the odds: Spain's Christmas lottery tradition
Durada: 26 min
21/12/2024
Spain's annual Christmas lottery will take place on December 22; it is the biggest and most popular draw of the year and an event of great cultural importance for many Catalan citizens. This week on Filling the Sink we'll be exploring the history of this festive prize draw and discovering how it is celebrated. Catalan News journalist Oriol Escudé explains the origins of the draw as a way to raise money for the defense of Cádiz against Napoleon's troops in 1812. Host Beth Cohen discovers who the students of San Ildefonso school are and why their singing forms part of the lottery draw held in the Teatro Real in Madrid. And we visit some of Barcelona's most iconic ticket outlets to meet lottery vendors and discuss the odds of winning 'El Gordo'. This week's Catalan phrase is "Néixer amb la flor al cul" - literally "to be born with a flower in your bottom", which refers to good fortune acquired without effort.