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
Doña Urraca of León, also known as Urraca I of León and Castile (1080–1126), occupies a singular place in the history of medieval Spain....
Every year for about a month, the most important bullfighting tournament in the world takes place in Madrid’s Las Ventas bullring. There was an...
Here’s the last part of a quick trip we took to a corner of Aragon, near the mountain Moncayo. We visited the Veruela Abbey,...
