Dec 14, 2024
They say that Spaniards love to play the lottery even more than they love football. This is true; before Christmas, families buy lottery tickets with jokes and enthusiasm, discuss and anticipate the excitement of the game. But why did this happen and why is the Christmas lottery called "El Gordo" and why do millions of Spaniards live in anticipation of the draw on 22 December? We tell you now...
The story of how the first prize in the Christmas Lottery was named "El Gordo" dates back to the 18th century. During that time, the lottery draw had already begun to become popular in Spain. In 1763, under the mandate of the Minister of Finance, the Marquis of Esquilache, Spain adopted the "Royal Lottery" to raise funds for public works, hospitals and pious causes. However, it was not until 1811 when, in the midst of the War of Independence against Napoleon's troops, the Cortes de Cádiz created the "Lotería Nacional de España", a lottery that was introduced with the mission of financing the fight against Napoleon's army. Since then, the Christmas Lottery has been held annually..
However, although this draw had been running for several years, the name of the first prize was not always the same. What we know today as "El Gordo" has a much more sympathetic origin, linked to the marketing of the time. In the 18th century, to encourage ticket sales, a popular and charismatic character was devised, known as "The Lucky Dwarf" or "The Lottery Fanatic". This short, chubby-looking character wore a costume made of the lottery balls themselves. He was the star of advertising campaigns and, like today's famous scratch card man, was used to convey a message of luck and fortune..
Illustrations and prints of this peculiar character were distributed throughout Spain, accompanied by phrases such as: "Of joy and money, this lucky dwarf, if you study him carefully, will show you the path of fortune with joy". In this way, the dwarf, with his good-natured and plump appearance, became a symbol of luck and prosperity for all gamblers. And it was then that people, in their eagerness to associate the character with good fortune, began to refer to him as "El Gordo". Little by little, this name spread until it became the official name for the first prize in the lottery..
Although the character of the "lucky dwarf" disappeared over time, the name "El Gordo" remained in the collective memory. Today, this nickname is synonymous with luck and happiness, associated not only with the first prize in the Christmas lottery, but also with the hopes of millions of people who dream of changing their lives overnight..
However, the origin of the name has nothing to do with the size of the prize itself. Although in its early days the first prize in the Christmas Lottery was much more modest, in 1812, the prize of 8,000 reals (approximately 48,000 euros today) was nowhere near what we know today as "El Gordo" (the jackpot)..
For example, in 1903 the prize was 150,000 pesetas, some 900,000 euros today, already a notable increase. And, in 1987, the figure soared to 1,000 million pesetas (more than 6 million euros).