The strangest rituals and superstitions behind Christmas lottery picks

It's a weekday morning of December in the heart of Barcelona. The morning rush has subsided, workers have settled into their offices, shops are just beginning to open, and curious tourists are beginning to fill the area.   

Amidst this relative calm, one place near Plaça Catalunya is buzzing with activity: El Gato Negro, one of the city's most popular lottery shops. In the weeks leading up to the Christmas lottery draw on December 22, the queue never stops. 

The shop owes its popularity to a curious paradox: its good reputation is linked to its namesake, the black cat, which is traditionally considered a symbol of bad luck.  

"They say a black cat brings bad luck in life, but good luck in the lottery," one customer told Catalan News. 

But it is not only the name of the shop and the decorations, there is also a ritual that no customer breaks.  

"After buying the décimo, you ring the bell to wake up the black cat, to tell it that we need good luck, and then you rub your ticket on its back," says another customer after doing so.   

José Luis, a local who has been buying lottery tickets here since childhood, has done this ritual dozens of times.   

"I used to come here with my mom when I was a kid, and I've never won." Still, he continues to put his faith in the black cat's charm. 

Others make the pilgrimage from far away. Damià, visiting from Mallorca, explains that his parents asked him to bring back tickets with the black cat's touch.  

'I saw a long line and didn't buy the tickets - then they won' 

A few streets away, at the Urquinaona metro exit, another legendary lottery shop is buzzing with energy.  

The line at Lotería 97 is even longer and slower than at El Gato Negro, with people waiting at least half an hour for a décimo.  

There's no ritual here, no rubbing tickets, no black cat associations. What stands out is the shop's track record of winners.  

"This place has been here for over a hundred years. We've sold a lot of winning tickets, and it's only gotten more popular," says Pedro Fortuño, the shop's owner.  

Despite selling countless winning tickets, Pedro has never won the lottery himself.  

"Selling winning tickets brings a lot of joy. It's much more rewarding than a job where you have to deliver bad news," he explains.  

Pedro notes that many customers prefer numbers containing 13, much like the black cat tradition - things considered unlucky but believed to bring good fortune.  

Other superstitions also play a role, like Helena's, who had a life-changing experience that made this store her annual Christmas stop.  

"One time I passed by and saw some tickets I wanted to buy. But there was a big line, so I said 'I'll come back later,' but I didn't, and they won €30,000. I have that ingrained in my memory," says Helena, who now returns to the store every year. 

Valencia floods number sold out 

"I’m sure this year the number from the floods in Valencia, which I don’t have, will be very popular," Fortuño told us, recalling how in 2011 the number for the Lorca earthquake was a bestseller and sold out quickly. 

He was right. Numbers from the date of the disaster, 29104, are sold out, along with the following day’s number, 30104. 

"There’s a popular belief that bad luck is tied to winning El Gordo. It’s a paradox - people seeking luck from tragedy," says Borja Muñiz, president of ANAPAL, the lottery sellers’ association. 

Muñiz notes that numbers ending in 29 are especially in demand, with many also seeking tickets sold in Valencia.

In Alfafar, one of the most affected towns, lottery seller Joan Mut tells the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that he’s been able to reopen his shop after extensive renovations. 

"Since we reopened in late November after rebuilding, many people have been coming in to buy tickets," he says. 

After the devastating October disaster, which claimed over 220 lives and caused widespread destruction, the lottery has become a small source of hope and normalcy. 

"If the tickets are dirty with mud, they sell better," Mut adds. "People believe that since disaster struck, maybe a prize will fall in that area, and that’s what they’re looking for—hope."

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