The Fat One

In one of my blog posts, I had mentioned how superstitious Spanish people are. Due to the Euro zone debt crisis, Spain has the highest jobless rate in the European Union and is at the threshold of a big time recession. Five million people are out of work, but 9 out of 10 Spaniards will gamble on El Gordo (The Fat One) lottery today. Spain will be glued to the TV, Internet and radio listening to the monotonous chant of a group of children from the San Idelfonso school in Madrid call out the numbers drawn wishing that their number will be the lucky one. The chances of winning this lottery are 1 in 100,000. Statistically speaking, it’s almost impossible to win, yet people gamble. So what makes Spaniards dig deep into their pockets to buy at least a decimo (a tenth, the smallest unit sold) for 20 euros?

A few years ago, a Spanish friend of mine gave me a book called "The Myth of the Goddess Fortune" as a present. I thought he had chosen that book because he knew that I liked mythology, however when I flipped through the pages, I discovered that it was a self help type (not my favorite cup of tea) mixed with an illustrated myth about Fortune. No idea why he had given me that book, so I never took the time to read it and it’s been sitting somewhere on my shelves.

The Roman goddess Fortune or her Greek counterpart, Tykhe, is not part of the major deities and therefore not that well known. She was the daughter of Zeus and the goddess of fate, chance or luck. Her symbol is the wheel. It is believed she would spin her wheel to decide who would have good luck and who would suffer misfortune.

Now that I think about it, I should find the book and read it. Maybe, he was trying to enlighten me as to why Spanish people will be seeking this elusive goddess today. As for me, I have a better use in mind for my 20 euros!