The Extraordinary Christmas Draw would not be the same without the voice of the children of the San Ildefonso school singing numbers and prizes, an image that has become synonymous with illusion and hope in Spain. However, this year, the excitement and nerves of the little ones have also left an endearing and commented scene during the broadcast.
Excitement, responsibility and pressure on the little ones
The Christmas lottery always goes hand in hand with nerves and excitement for the boys and girls of the San Ildefonso school. Many of them, in addition to the veterans who are already used to the frenetic rhythm, live for the first time the experience of singing the Christmas Lottery in front of a whole nation waiting for each number.
Although failure is allowed, the truth is that it is not the most desirable thing to do. The pressure of being in the Teatro Real, in front of cameras and with millions of spectators at home, makes itself felt. And this year it was clear when one of the children experienced a moment of doubt that aroused both tenderness and sympathy among the audience.
A moment to remember
During one of the tableaux, Piero, one of the children in charge of singing, found himself in a moment of confusion while enunciating a number. Visibly nervous and with trembling hands, he stopped his singing to ask for help and clarify a number that had stuck in his throat.
“Is this a 19 or a 49?” he asked sincerely, to the surprise of those around him. The answer was immediate and reassuring: “A 49”, which allowed Piero to continue with his work, finally completing the number: “49,659”.
This small moment, shared live, not only broke with the usual fluidity of the draw, but also humanized the moment, reminding all spectators that behind every number there are children who feel responsibility, nerves and emotion.
The public responds with affection
Far from generating criticism, Piero’s gesture was received with applause from those present at the Teatro Real, and even the presenters showed their support when they saw that the child was having a hard time. “He wants to finish now,” they commented, recognizing the little boy’s effort to overcome his nerves and continue with the difficult task of singing a complete tabla.
In addition, it was not the only case of memories or reunions during the day. The second prize, 70048, was sung by Samantha Fuster and Ángel Abaga, bringing back to many the memory of 2022, when Abaga lived the experience of singing El Gordo. Also Piero and Alisce, who last year won the Gordo, this time had to settle for the first fourth prize, 78,477.
The tradition that lives on year after year
Every December 22nd, millions of people in Spain and abroad carefully follow the Christmas Lottery Draw. Beyond the prizes, it is a deeply rooted cultural ritual in the country, with elements that are part of the collective imagination: the children of San Ildefonso, the sound of the balls spinning on the wires, and the emotion that is palpable in every song.
This year, the presence of moments like Piero’s reminds us once again that, behind the solemnity of the draw, there are human experiences full of tension, nerves and tenderness.
What happens if a child makes a mistake? The regulations make one essential point clear
Amidst all this expectation, a common question also arises: what happens if the children get a winning number wrong? The answer does not depend on the children’s reading aloud, but on the official lottery regulations. According to the current rules, “the winning numbers are those that actually appear on the wires and the official list, not those that are mistakenly read out by the children of San Ildefonso”.
The draw is carried out at a considerable speed (about two thousand pedrea prizes) and in this context, the children do their work quickly. But the rules are very clear: the valid numbers are those that appear in the physical draw and in the official list, not those that can be misinterpreted live.
In order to guarantee the legal security of the draw, a series of reliable controls are also contemplated with auditors and other figures who verify each number introduced into the wires after leaving the drum.
Tables and verification of results
Once a table has been completed, the presiding table, which includes a notary public, checks the jackpots that have been sung and locks the table with a padlock, preventing any tampering. The tables remain visible on the stage of the Teatro Real throughout the draw.
After completion, the numbers and prizes of all the tables are checked again, first by the auxiliary table and then by the presidential table, with an exhaustive review of the balls and numbers. Finally, a final review is carried out at the Mint and the Official Prize List is prepared, which is distributed to points of sale as well as to the media and is published on SELAE’s official website.
In the 2021 draw, for example, there were as many as 56 reading errors among the pedrea numbers, representing 3.1 % of the 1,794 prizes in that table, according to a group of affected people who analyzed the results after that historic draw.
