Spain kicks off festivities with 'El Gordo' bumper lottery
The IndependentFor free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Spain kicked off the festive period Thursday with the celebration of one of its most iconic events, the bumper Christmas lottery, known as “El Gordo”. In keeping with tradition, the winning numbers are called out by children from Madrid’s San Ildefonso school in a nationally televised draw at Madrid’s Teatro Real opera house. Other lotteries have bigger individual top prizes but Spain’s Christmas lottery, held each year on Dec. 22, is ranked as the world’s richest for the total prize money involved.