In Castellón, Spain, the Christmas season effectively begins in August, when the demand for the "Gordo" (the grand prize) of the Christmas lottery extraordinary draw triggers typical end-of-year sales during summer. Tourists visiting the province are buying various souvenirs, such as magnets, t-shirts, fans, and ceramic pieces, but are increasingly also buying lottery tickets to try their luck in the draw.
Christmas lottery tickets, whose draw takes place on December 22, have become just another souvenir among the thousands of tourists who have visited and continue to visit the province of Castellón during the summer months. The tradition of buying lottery tickets early for Christmas is already part of Spanish culture, but in this case it mixes with local tourism.
The Lottery Offices in the region registered an increase in sales during this summer, driven by both tourists and local residents who seek to secure their numbers in advance. This phenomenon reflects how the tradition of the Christmas lottery draw continues to be a culturally significant event in Spain, even during the hottest months of the year.
