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Who doesn’t love a bit of fat lottery? That’s what the Spanish call their Christmas lottery game – El gordo.

What is El gordo?

The El gordo lottery is drawn on the 22nd of December and is one of the most anticipated television events of the year. The sorteo (draw) is shown live on La 1 (Spanish national TV channel 1) and features two huge bombos (hoppers). One of these contains 100,000 balls with all the lottery numbers, while the other has balls with all the prizes printed on them. Then, the bombos start spinning and students from the Colegio de San Ildefonso in Madrid sacan (take out) the numbers which they then cantan (sing) out loud for all to hear. One student sings the lottery number and the other sings the prize awarded to that number.

In terms of types of tickets, you can buy a billete (ticket) which costs 200 euros, or more commonly un décimo (a tenth) costing, logically, 20 euros. Many people share un décimo with friends or family and so reducing the cost incrementally for each player. The numbers on each one are a combination of 5 digits between 00000 and 99999 which therefore produces 100,000 unique numbers (hence 100,000 balls in the lottery machine). Clearly, far more than this number of tickets are sold, so billetes (tickets) are produced in series (series) meaning multiple people end up with the winning numbers and therefore share the total amount.

Tickets for the El gordo lottery están a la venta (go on sale) from early July (yes, July!) and there’s always a frenzied rush of people willing to queue for hours to get theirs from the most popular puntos de venta (points of sale) across the country. For example, in Madrid the most famous lottery seller is Doña Manolita located right in the city centre. This administración (lottery seller) has people waiting outside for hours each day, week after week to buy their décimos as the shop has sold more winning numbers, both for el gordo (the main prize) and the other prize amounts, more times than anywhere else in Spain. When you’re here learning Spanish, you should get yourself down there early to pick up a ticket – who knows what might happen!

The premios (prizes) for the El gordo are a little complicated. As we said in the previous paragraph, el gordo is actually the name for the top cash prize. Officially, the lottery is called El Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad (The Spanish Christmas Lottery Draw) but everyone uses el gordo to mean the same thing. Here’s a quick breakdown of the main prizes.

Apart from these, there are all sorts of other combinations of prizes too – you’ll just have to jugar (play) yourself and find out!

The Christmas lottery in Spain, in its current form, is a tradition dating back to 1812 when the country was mostly under French rule after the Napoleonic invasion. The city of Cádiz, in the south of the country, was the one of the few places still free from the French and  home to what remained of the independent Spanish government. A minister, Ciriaco González Carvajal, came up with the idea as a way to recaudar fondos (raise funds) for the government which was in desperate need of money to continue fighting the Guerra de la Independencia (the Independence War). The first sorteo (draw) took place on the 18th of December 1812 in Cádiz and, as the Spanish regained their freedom, was moved to the capital of Madrid in 1814. 

Since its inception, the lotería de navidad has been drawn every single year during economic crises, disasters and even in the Guerra Civil (Civil War) of 1936-1939 when the two bandos (sides) had separate sorteos (draws). It’s incredible how important El gordo is in Spain, and everyone wants to see the new anuncio de la lotería de navidad (Christmas lottery advert) when it’s released in November as it marks the start of the run-up to Christmas.

So, get your wallet/purse ready for when you come to do your Spanish course in Madrid and buy a décimo or two – you might be one of the lucky winners!

¿Quién no quiere algo de lotería del “Gordo”? Así es como los españoles llaman al sorteo extraordinario de lotería de Navidad: el Gordo.

El sorteo del Gordo se celebra el 22 de diciembre y es uno de los acontecimientos televisivos más esperados del año. El sorteo se retransmite en directo por La 1 (de Televisión Española) y en él participan dos enormes bombos: en uno de ellos se introducen 100.000 bolas con todos los números de lotería; en el otro bombo están todos los premios que se otorgan en este sorteo. A continuación, los bombos comienzan a girar y los alumnos del Colegio de San Ildefonso de Madrid sacan los números que luego cantan en voz alta para que todos los oigan. Uno de los niños canta el número y el otro canta el premio.

En cuanto a la cantidad de dinero jugada, se puede comprar un billete que cuesta 200 euros, o más comúnmente un décimo que cuesta, lógicamente, 20 euros. Mucha gente comparte un décimo con amigos o familiares, e incluso se intercambia reduciendo así el coste (puedes jugar más números, aunque menos cantidad de cada uno). Los números de cada décimo son una combinación de 5 cifras entre 00000 y 99999, lo que produce 100.000 números únicos (de ahí las 100.000 bolas del bombo). Evidentemente, se vende mucho más que este número de billetes, por lo que los billetes se producen en series, lo que significa que varias personas acaban teniendo los números ganadores y, por lo tanto, comparten el importe total.

Los décimos de lotería del Gordo están a la venta desde principios de julio (¡sí, julio!) y siempre hay un frenesí de gente dispuesta a hacer cola durante horas para conseguir el suyo en los puntos de venta más populares de todo el país. En Madrid, por ejemplo, la lotera más famosa es Doña Manolita, situada en pleno centro de la ciudad. En esta administración hay gente esperando fuera durante horas todos los días, semana tras semana, para comprar sus décimos, ya que la tienda ha vendido más números premiados, tanto para el Gordo (el premio principal) como para el resto de cantidades premiadas, más veces que ningún otro lugar de España. Cuando estés aquí aprendiendo español, deberías ir temprano a comprar un décimo, ¡quién sabe lo que puede pasar!

Los premios del Gordo son un poco complicados. Como hemos dicho en el párrafo anterior, el Gordo es en realidad el nombre del premio mayor en metálico. Oficialmente, la lotería se llama Sorteo Extraordinario de Navidad, pero todo el mundo utiliza el Gordo para referirse al mismo. He aquí un rápido desglose de los principales premios.

Además, hay todo tipo de combinaciones de premios, ¡sólo tienes que jugar y descubrirlo!

La lotería de Navidad en España, en su forma actual, es una tradición que se remonta a 1812, cuando el país estaba en su mayor parte bajo dominio francés tras la invasión napoleónica. La ciudad de Cádiz, en el sur del país, era una de las pocas libres de los franceses y sede de lo que quedaba del gobierno independiente español. A un ministro, Ciriaco González Carvajal, se le ocurrió la idea como una forma de recaudar fondos para el gobierno, que necesitaba desesperadamente dinero para seguir luchando en la Guerra de la Independencia. El primer sorteo tuvo lugar el 18 de diciembre de 1812 en Cádiz y, cuando los españoles expulsaron a los franceses, se trasladó a la capital, Madrid, en 1814.

Desde su creación, la lotería de Navidad se ha sorteado todos los años, durante crisis económicas, catástrofes e incluso en la Guerra Civil de 1936-1939, cuando los dos bandos tuvieron sorteos separados. Es increíble la importancia que tiene el Gordo en España, y todo el mundo quiere ver el nuevo anuncio de la lotería de Navidad cuando se estrena en noviembre, ya que marca el inicio de la campaña previa a la Navidad.

Así que prepara tu cartera/monedero para cuando vengas a hacer tu curso de español en Madrid y compra uno o dos décimos: ¡puedes ser uno de los afortunados ganadores!

Escuchar a música (listening to music) is one of life’s great pleasures. It’s a fantastic way to aprender la cultura (learn about the culture) of the different countries around the world, and also a fantastic way to help you to learn a language. You can divertírte (enjoy yourself) and mejorar tu oído (improve your listening skills) at the same time – so let’s have a look at some different musical styles from around the Spanish-speaking world, and end with some useful vocabulary.

Obviously, you must have heard of el flamenco as it’s the most typical style of music and dance that people associate with Spain. Originating in Andalucía, a region in the south of Spain, it is un símbolo (a symbol) of Spanish culture to the outside world, despite the fact that it is only from one particular area.

There are three main parts to el flamenco – el cante (the singing element), el toque (the guitar playing and percussion aspects) and el baile (the dance). Each of these elements are crucial in making the whole flamenco experience truly come to life. During the dance, the bailaor/a (flamenco dancer) can be seen playing unas castañuelas (castanets) – a typical Spanish percussion instrument held in the hands and clicked together to make a very distinctive sound. Many bailaores/as (flamenco dancers) are estrellas (stars) in their own right, and we’d definitely recommend you go to un tablao (a flamenco venue) in Madrid when you’re here studying Spanish to see a full show. It’s an amazing spectacle and you’ll definitely leave feeling energised and wanting to see more!

You might have seen this type of music written as “reggaeton”, and that spelling also gives you a bit more of a clue as to its origins. Developed in Puerto Rico in the early 1990s, el reguetón is related to the world of reggae and hip-hop, as well as the more underground dancehall style.

This style is all about rapped lyrics, danceable tunes and a more club feeling than other types of music we’re talking about in this article. It’s proven to be extremely popular with young people throughout the Spanish-speaking world and you’ll hear it absolutely everywhere when you’re living in Madrid learning Spanish. An early pioneer of the género (genre) was Daddy Yankee, who you might well have heard of, and more recent stars include Bad Bunny and Karol G.

You might not have heard of this one, but la bachata is a very popular style in Latin America which came from the República Dominicana (Dominican Republic) and extended throughout the Spanish-speaking world. It’s full of ritmo (rhythm) and life, and it also has its own set of dance moves. These are performed with una pareja (a partner) and the resulting dance is a sensual one – so perfect for if you’re on the lookout for a romantic evening!

La bachata uses all sorts of instruments, from guitarras (guitars) to el bongo (bongo drums) and saxofones (saxophones) which combine together to create its unique sound. Recently, la bachata was declared as Patrimonio de la Humanidad (Intangible culture of Humanity) by UNESCO. When you’re here in Madrid, there are plenty of clubs where you can hear this amazing style so make sure you take advantage of the opportunity!

Another typical musical genre which we’re sure you’ve heard of, la salsa is actually a fusion of Cuban and American dances which first became popular in New York in the late 1960s. There, immigrants from various Latin American countries developed the first salsa tracks, along with the typical dance routines which accompany this type of music. Nowadays, there are a variety of different styles, from New York, to Colombian, Puerto Rican and the original Cuban.

Interestingly, the name la salsa is also the Spanish word for sauce, which quite accurately describes the mixture of cultures present in the music and dance moves of this genre. Like la bachata, the moves in la salsa are all about moving your cadera (hips) and hombros (shoulders) with lots of giros (spins) mixed in for good measure. There are lots of places in all Spanish-speaking countries where you can try out this dance style, and many clubs in Madrid have salsa evenings so you can learn the moves, practise your Spanish and have a great night too!

And there you have four typical music and dance styles from the Spanish-speaking world. So you can understand some of the language used when talking about music, here’s some useful vocabulary to help you.

Los festivos de España se publican cada mes de octubre para que todo el mundo sepa qué fechas debe marcar en el calendario como días libres durante el siguiente año. Por ley, puede haber hasta catorce días festivos oficiales, incluyendo los días nacionales y regionales. El gobierno central decide nueve de ellos, que son siempre los mismos, y los gobiernos regionales y los ayuntamientos pueden añadir hasta cinco más para completarlos.

Casi todo el mundo en el país espera con impaciencia dos fechas en particular: el 6 y el 8 de diciembre. ¿Por qué? Porque son dos días festivos que permiten disfrutar de ambos días libres en la misma semana, y que para mucha gente suponen también un puente. ¿Pero qué es eso? Pues bien, un puente significa que dos días de vacaciones están separados por un día laborable entre ellos, de modo que puedes tomarte ese día libre de trabajo y hacer una escapada de tres (o más) días. Desgraciadamente, no todo el mundo se beneficia de ello y algunas personas tienen que trabajar el día 7, aunque a todo el mundo le gustan los dos días libres. Veamos por qué estas fechas son importantes en el calendario festivo español.

Como sabrás, o no, entre 1939 y 1975 España fue gobernada por el dictador Francisco Franco. A su muerte, hubo un periodo conocido como la Transición que duró, más o menos, hasta 1978, cuando la nueva constitución democrática fue sometida a referéndum y aprobada por el pueblo español el 6 de diciembre. Cada año, este importante hito se celebra con un festivo nacional, ya que esta constitución sigue vigente hasta hoy.

Durante el día de la Constitución se celebran numerosos actos en todo el país. Por ejemplo, en Madrid los soldados izarán la bandera en la Plaza de Colón al son del himno nacional y con la presencia de varios políticos de alto nivel. Además, en las calles del barrio de Barajas se celebra una carrera que rinde homenaje a la Constitución y que constituye un interesante evento local en sí mismo. En esta época del año, la ciudad también se prepara para la Navidad, por lo que en los días cercanos al 6 se organizan muchas actividades navideñas, como los mercados navideños que se celebran por toda la capital. Sin duda, un día para celebrar, ya que todos recordamos cómo volvió la democracia a España.

La otra fecha importante de esta semana es el día 8, en el que se celebra la Inmaculada Concepción de la virgen María, madre de Jesús. Para los cristianos, es un día excepcionalmente importante, ya que se celebra que María, desde el momento en que fue concebida por sus padres, por gracia y privilegios únicos que Dios le concedió, fue preservada de toda mancha del pecado original.

Mucha gente acude a la misa para celebrar el día, y es, según la tradición eclesiástica, la única ocasión en que el sacerdote puede llevar vestimenta azul. Para las personas no religiosas, es simplemente otro día de fiesta y una oportunidad para descansar y relajarse, o simplemente salir y disfrutar de algunas de las atracciones cercanas al lugar donde viven.

Cuando vengas a Madrid a aprender español, todas estas fiestas serán una gran oportunidad para salir y sumergirte en la cultura española. Siempre hay algo destacable en cada fiesta especial y puedes aprender mucho sobre la historia, la gente y las tradiciones del país acudiendo a los diferentes eventos. Si haces un curso en Hablamos, verás que organizamos muchas actividades culturales, así que anímate a unirte a nosotros y comienza tus estudios de español hoy mismo.

Spain’s festivos (public holidays) are published every October to let everyone know which dates to mark on the calendar as a day off during the next year. By law, there can be up to 14 official holidays including both national and regional days. The central government decides on 9 of these, which are always the same, and the regional governments and local councils can add up to 5 more to make up the full amount.

Pretty much everyone in the country looks forward to two dates in particular – the 6<^th and the 8^th of December. Why? Because they’re two festivos (bank/public holidays) which mean you get both days off work in the same week, and for a lot of people also make un puente. But what’s that? Well, un puente (a bridge) means when two holiday days are separated by a normal day between them so that you can take an extra day off work in the middle and make a three (or more!) day break. Unfortunately, not everybody benefits from this and some people have to work on the 7^th, even still, everyone likes two days off! Let’s have a look as to why these dates are important in the Spanish holiday calendar.

As you may, or may not, know, from 1939-1975 Spain was ruled by the dictador (dictator) Francisco Franco. When he died, there was a period known as la transición (the transition) which lasted, more or less, until 1978 when the new democratic constitución (constitution) was put to a referendum and approved by the Spanish people on the 6^th of December. Each year, this important hito (event) is marked with a festivo nacional (national holiday) as this constitution is still in force to this day.

During el día de la constitución (Constitution Day) there are numerous events which take place around the country. For instance, in Madrid soldiers izar la bandera (raise the flag) in the Plaza de Colón (Columbus Square) to the sound of the himno nacional (national anthem) and with the presence of various high-level politicians. Also, in the Barajas neighbourhood there’s a carrera (race) through the streets which pays homage to the Constitution and makes for an interesting local event in itself. The city tends to be getting ready for la navidad (Christmas) at this time of year too, so lots of Christmassy activities get going on the days around the 6^th such as the mercados navideños (Christmas markets) all around the capital. Definitely a day to celebrate as we all remember how democracy returned to Spain.

The other important fecha (date) during this week is the 8^th, on which we celebrate the Immaculate Conception of la virgen María, madre de Jesús (The Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus). For cristianos (Christians), this is an exceptionally important day as it is when Santa Ana (Saint Anne), the mother of María (Mary), fell pregnant and God preserved Mary from the stain of original sin. As such, María (Mary) is free from pecado (sin) and could then go on to give birth to Jesus.

On this day, many people go to misa (mass) to mark the day, and it is, according to Church tradition, the only day on which the cura (priest) may wear vestimento azul (blue robes). For non-religious people, the day is simply another holiday and a chance to rest and relax, or just get out and enjoy some of the attractions around where they live.

When you come to Madrid to learn Spanish, all of these festivos are a great opportunity to go out and immerse yourself in Spanish culture. There’s always something happening on every special holiday and you can learn so much about the history, the people and the traditions of the country by going to the different events. If you take a course at Hablamos, we arrange lots of cultural activities so come and join us and start you Spanish studies with us today!

Now you’re in Madrid studying Spanish, it’s about time you got out and saw some of the other amazing places near the capital filled with sitios de interés (interesting sites) to get more of a flavour of Spanish culture. The ciudad (city) of Alcalá de Henares is a must-see when you’re living and studying in Madrid. It is, like Segovia which featured in one of our previous blogs, classed as patrimonio de la humanidad (a World Heritage Site) and is the lugar de nacimiento (birthplace) of Miguel de Cervantes who authored the famous novel El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha.

The city of Alcalá de Henares takes its name from the Moorish defensive settlement which was built in the pre-exiting town dating from prehistoric times. Nowadays, the city is the third biggest settlement in the Comunidad de Madrid (Madrid region) and an important university town. Let’s take a look at what there is to see and do there.

If you’re taking an excursión (excursion/trip) to Alcalá, you’ve absolutely got to go and see the home of the author Miguel de Cervantes. Located on the beautiful Calle Mayor (Main Street), the house is now a museo dedicated to the author’s life and connection with the city. Also, right in front of the building is un banco (a bench) with bronze statues of the main characters from the novel Don Quijote – the man himself and his famous sidekick Sancho Panza. Take a moment to sit next to them and sacar una foto (take a picture) to show all your classmates in your Spanish lessons!

In order to reach Cervante’s house, you’ll need to dar un paseo (take a walk) down the famous Calle Mayor in the city centre. This street is extremely well-maintained, and is in fact the longest calle soportalada (street with colonnades) in Europe! It’s full of tiendas (shops), bares (bars) and cafeterías (cafés) to buy some recuerdos (souvenirs) or tomar algo (have something to eat or drink). A bonus is that you’ll get to speak Spanish with some locals while you’re there and impress them with what you’ve learned in your Spanish classes.

The central square, la plaza de Cervantes, is about halfway down Calle Mayor and serves as a focal point for all the fiestas (festivals) which take place in the city each year. The most important fiesta is the Ferias de Alcalá de Henares which takes place every August for one week. There are all sorts of activities during this time, including lots of conciertos en directo (live concerts) and the curious pasacalles de Gigantes y Cabezudos (the parade of the giants and big heads). Hundreds of massive marionetas (puppets) representing different historical people and cultural figures are marched through the streets of the city accompanied by the sounds of traditional music. It’s a great way to see some authentic Spanish culture in action so don’t miss it on your stay here learning Spanish.

In the Plaza de San Diego, just off plaza de Cervantes, you’ll find what is today the central offices of the Universidad de Alcalá. This university, fundada (founded) in 1499 by Cardenal Cisneros, a famous Spanish cardinal, is housed in some of the most spectacular buildings in the city. In fact, the Universidad Complutense de Madrid is actually, due to various historical reasons, the continuation of the original school from 1499 but the Universidad de Alcalá was re-launched in the 1970s and occupies the original school’s buildings. It’s definitely worth hacer una visita guiada (taking a guided tour) of the university’s main faculties as they are all architecturally interesting. Also, once you’ve been studying Spanish for a while you might decide to go and do a carrera (degree) there as it’s a prestigious educational institution.

Obviously, all the walking you’ll be doing around Alcalá will mean that at some point you’ll fancy something para comer (to eat). Alcalá de Henares, like pretty much any Spanish city, has hundreds of bars and restaurants where you can try all the different local tapas (small dishes). We’d recommend gambas al ajillo (prawns in garlic oil) or maybe some migas al pastor (breadcrumbs with chorizo sausage, pancetta and paprika) – ¡delicioso!

That’s just a few of the things Alcalá de Henares has to offer, so when you come to take a Spanish course here at Hablamos, we definitely recommend visiting and seeing for yourself this amazing medieval city.