We got proudly!
Almost at the same time Anna, another resident of Sodeto, picks up the phone, her daughter is on the wire. "Mum, She says, looks like, that Gordo won at Granier. "This is a joke?"- Anna asks. She looks out the window and sees her friend Lolita, running in her pajamas to the mayor's house. Anna Lolita leaning out of the window screams - “WE GOT Proudly!»
"How many?"- Anna asks reflexively, and a friend calls the amount in pesetas, what Anna yells at: - "Tell me, so I can understand". "One hundred thousand euros for a ticket", - shouts back Lolita.
Anna in shock rushes to the bar. She remembers, how did you put your ticket under the cashier, and where he is, and ... here it is! She runs out into the square, among the lucky ones, who dance and hug, uncorking champagne bottles, taken for joy (and without payment) from the shelves of the village store.
Sandra, at the time of the drawing was at work outside Sodeto and learned the news after a call from a friend. She is nervous and worried, because ... she thinks, that I bought a ticket. After all, it was? Yes. That's just, where could she put it?
After asking the chef, Sandra returns the same way, which I drove an hour ago. When she gets to Sodeto, holiday in full swing. Everyone in the square, all with champagne, dancing, sing and have fun. Sandra, head down goes to his house, opens the gate, bursts in and begins to frantically remember. Ticket ... where is the ticket?!
Meanwhile, in the office, colleagues are taking bets, on it, is there a ticket now. Maybe she threw it away, maybe, in twenty-five years he will be at the bottom of a shoebox.
Sandra, rushes at home, rummaging through things in closets and scattering them in all directions.? She takes out her phone and calls her ex-boyfriend - Cortis (still cloudy from sleep). "Sodeto won El Gordo, She screams, but I can't find my fucking ticket ". She cries, she is hysterical. Throws clothes and papers. Half an hour, forty minutes, searching and muttering, turning into despair ...
It all goes on until then, until the ticket was found Hidden in the closet by the sink.
One of the tickets, distributed by Mary Carmen was recorded by her friend. But, in view of the difficult financial situation (my friend's husband was unemployed then) it was never paid. When El Gordo's number was announced, the same ticket remained unredeemed. But, Miss Carmen left him for her friend anyway. "She was afraid to call me and ask" - said Mary. So a friend's son called Carmen's son and asked, was the ticket really saved? And Mary said yes, sure". And then there was a lot of crying.
Like many other local farmers, Jose Manuel Penella Cambra, recently invested in more efficient irrigation techniques, and worried about, will be able to close the loan. But his wife bought two tickets, brought 200 000 euros, and the son found two more, which she bought earlier and which she forgot, resulting in the total amount 400 000 euros.
“I kept on talking: look for more, look for more ", - he joked in a village cafe, a shabby establishment with several Formica tables and a torn black leatherette sofa. “This money means, that now we can breathe ", - said Jose. - “And the best part, that it's not just me. Everyone won ".
Traditional gifts
Lottery ticket "Christmas lottery"
If you want to, so that your loved ones have a year filled with success, present them with participation in the annual and very popular Spanish lottery. Christmas lottery, "Christmas lottery", или “El Gordo”, exists since 1812 years and even now does not slow down. Every year 22 December the Spaniards are waiting for the draw and trying to catch their luck. The prize pool of each winning ticket reaches up to 4 million. The cost of a full ticket is quite high - 200 euros, therefore the Spaniards prefer to buy a tenth ("Tithe") for 20 euros. Also popular is the “younger brother” “El Gordo” - the festive lottery “El Niño”, which is drawn 6 January on the feast of the Three Kings (Magi).
Price: 20 euros.
Festive Characters Figures
Funny gifts, making children and adults smile, figurines of the main holiday characters appear. They will once again remind of national Spanish traditions and fit perfectly into the New Year's interior.. In Catalonia, such a funny character is Cagatio ("Pooping log") - a piece of wood, mounted on two legs, with a pretty face, perky smile and in the national Catalan headdress. Cagatio keeps the fun Catalan tradition of finding baby gifts under the covers, covered with a figurine
If you are in the Basque Country, then be sure to pay attention to the figures of the local "Santa Claus" - the good-natured coal miner Olentzero. The musical doll Olentzero is very popular, which will delight you with national Basque melodies and songs
Price: from 3 euros.
Red New Year's decor items
The red color perfectly conveys all the passion, expressiveness and energy of the Spaniards. In Spain, red is considered a symbol of life, and therefore, to attract good luck on New Year's Eve, it is customary to wear one of the things in red and surround yourself with objects in bright red colors. Such elements of festive decor are perfect as a New Year's gift., like christmas wreaths with an abundance of red elements, Christmas decorations, bright red candles and candlesticks, which will decorate the festive table and bring good luck and comfort to the house.
Price: from 4 euros
Christmas cards
A universal way to congratulate loved ones is to give an original postcard, which will convey to the addressee your warm sincere wishes in writing, and this is appropriate even if, if you are close to each other. Spain still has a cute tradition of sending Christmas-themed cards to family members. They are also sent by companies to their employees or stores - to their regular customers. It is customary to place the sent postcards on the table or hang on the wall., so that all guests of the house can admire them.
Price: from 1 euros.
Tickets, tithes, share
Carmen, the most active member of the Sodeto Housewives Association, drove six miles to the lottery office in Granien, owned by Pilar and Fortunato, and examined all the tickets displayed in the window. The government annually prints Christmas lottery tickets with numbers from 0 to 99 999, and for every 100,000th episode there are several big prizes. The more series produced, the more winners (with the same ticket number). AT 2011 there were such series 180.
Tenth лотереи The Fat Christmas, 2011 year. №33923, series 9
One ticket costs 200 euros, and few can buy it entirely, so it is usually broken down into tithes (tenth) by 20 euro per piece, they are, in its turn, are divided into even smaller shares (quarter decims). Local communities in small villages, such as the Sodeto Housewives Association, buy a reel of tickets and sell them with a small mark-up of a door-to-door share, using small commission income to help settle - for example, paying for food and decorations during local festivals. Five euros for participation (a plus 1-1,5 euros, donated to housewives) involve citizens in the game with a chance 0,001 on El Gordo.
Any, who opened the door to public distributors, will buy at least one share, due to obligations, feelings of camaraderie or even guilt. Someone buys a few tithes - three, five, or even more.
Statistics says, that the spaniards, average, spend on the Christmas Lottery almost 70 euro per person, that is, for a family it can be 200-300 euros. Sure, it all depends on the level of income and passion ... but participation in El Gordo is a great national tradition.
On that day, Carmen chose the series 58268 and redeemed 1200 tithes, them together with other members of the Association, she spread to Sodeto and neighboring villages. Total housewives sold 1196 decimo.
A dozen (tenth) # 58268 - these are the numbers that Carmen chose
Tickets end up sticking to the fridge, put in a drawer, left next to a stack of mail and forgotten. for most, this is part of a Christmas ritual and even a donation. Sure, it is difficult to seriously count on a big win, but.. still it's Christmas, when a miracle is possible and ... what, if wishes come true?
Where is this little village?
The Christmas lottery draw begins at 9 hours in the morning and lasts several hours. Grand Prize, Fat, could be announced in three hours, but in December 2011 there was only 9:57 in the morning, when ... when the main prize was determined.
Rosa Pons (mayor of Sodeto) did not even watch the broadcast from the Royal Theater in Madrid, only half listening to her on the radio. Nine fifty seven in the morning. It is early, she says to herself. The voice speaks the number, and then says, that it fell to the village of Granien. Where is this little village? the announcer asks. And Rose almost answers: on the plain of Monegros, in Aragon!
Winners in Gragnon celebrate their winnings next to the lottery administration, where the lucky tickets were bought
Then the winning number is called out loud, completely - 58268 - and in a panic she goes for her ticket ... can this be? Then Carmen from the Housewives Association calls her. But what? But what? Could it be? - she's screaming, and Carmen says: "Yes, we won. We took El Gordo!».
Without changing clothes, just throwing on a coat, Rose runs across the square to the town hall. There is a warning system, used to advertise water shortages or power outages. With trembling hands, she turns on the food, takes the microphone and says, her voice carries the loudspeaker in the square. "Congratulations, Sodeto », She says so calmly, as soon as can. “We just won the lottery! Come to the square, to celebrate". Then she rushes home, to change clothes.
Chicken as a gift to the police in honor of the win
Throughout the history of the Christmas lottery, there have been many stories of people's reactions in the media., one day became millionaires. Some fainted and ended up in the hospital with a heart attack, others began to give gifts to others. Most curious reaction, according to journalists, there was a reaction from the owner of a poultry farm in Zaragoza in 1970 year. He found out about the win during a dispute with a policeman, who demanded from him the payment of a fine for an incorrectly parked van. Having received such great news, Manuel Peromarte, for his joy, decided to pay the fine on time and gave the police a chicken.
Chicken as a gift to the police in honor of the win
Throughout the history of the Christmas lottery, there have been many stories of people's reactions in the media., one day became millionaires. Some fainted and ended up in the hospital with a heart attack, others began to give gifts to others. Most curious reaction, according to journalists, there was a reaction from the owner of a poultry farm in Zaragoza in 1970 year. He found out about the win during a dispute with a policeman, who demanded from him the payment of a fine for an incorrectly parked van. Having received such great news, Manuel Peromarte, for his joy, decided to pay the fine on time and gave the police a chicken.
For kids
Snow fun
Sunny Spain is not so rich in snowy expanses, but even there there are places, where you can enjoy the snow. One of the most popular activities for the Christmas holidays is husky sledding. Little guests will be able to drive the sled themselves and play with the dogs after the walk. All this can be done in the Pyrenees, eg, в городках Vall d’Aran и El Pont de Suert (Leida, Catalonia) or in the snowy expanses of Tramacastilla de Tena (Huesca, Aragon).
Price: sledding - from 70 euro / hour.
Spend a night with sharks
A fun and entertaining night surrounded by sharks can be spent in the Oceanographic Park (The Oceanographic) Valencia for children from 4 years or Barcelona Aquarium (Barcelona Aquarium) children from 8 years old. The program provides a variety of games, which will help children get to know the inhabitants of the underwater world better, watching the life of sharks and fish.
Price: 90 euros.
Flying in a wind tunnel
What could be better, how to give a child the opportunity to fly, spreading my arms and feeling like a superhero! A wind tunnel - a safe free fall simulator at the Windobona de Madrid parachute center in Madrid and the Windoor Realfly de Empuriabrava in Girona allows you to fulfill your childhood dream under the supervision of professionals. This flight is an amazing New Year's gift for children from 4 years old.
Price: 2 minutes - from 39 to 49 euros; 4 minutes - 85 euros.
For adults
Hot air balloon flight
Seeing your favorite city from a bird's eye view is one of the most exciting adventures for travel enthusiasts. Hot Air Balloon Flights for Christmas can be organized for two or taken with the whole family. Optionally, you will be offered drinks and a small lunch on board the hot air balloon. If you want to see Barcelona from above, your gift is waiting for you in the town of Cardedeu, and if you are attracted by the capital of Spain Madrid, go to Guadarrama town, what's near Madrid.
Price: from 115 euro / hour.
Dinner surrounded by stars
At the observatory in Barcelona (Fabra Observatory) guests can enjoy a unique combination of scientific and gastronomic pleasure. A perfect gift for a loved one - Christmas night, including dinner on the observatory terrace at altitude 415 meters above sea level and stargazing with a telescope. You can also listen to a scientific lecture and take a guided tour of the observatory.
Price: 71 EUR / person.
