Every December 22, much of Spain braces itself for a 3-hour televised event that few people in the the world would associate with this festive season: a chance to make their Yuletide just a little bit cheerier by winning the annual Christmas lottery. This is a tradition that goes back over 200 years, believe it or not, and it is estimated that over 75% of the adult population in Spain plays; and with a total payout of 2.4 billion euros, many consider it the largest in the world. More than a celebration of gambling, it’s a deeply-rooted custom that not even the Spanish Civil War could stop. Learn more about its history in this week’s podcast. Enjoy!
You can subscribe to our podcasts on Spotify, Amazon and Castos. Or if you wish to support Brian’s Spain Domain, check us out at https://www.patreon.com/briansspaindomain
Catalonia is home to about a dozen different wine regions with a whole array of quality wine, from modern standards like red, white and...
Isabel Zendal was a Spanish nurse who helped lead the Royal Philanthropic Vaccine Expedition (1803–1806). She cared for orphaned children who carried the smallpox...
This is a six-year period is known as the Sexenio Democrático, and it was a frenetic stretch of more changes than most countries would...
