Strange

Swedish Christmas goat goes up in flames again

by mudricky | December 27, 2008 at 02:57 pm

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Every year the Swedish town of Gävle erects a giant goat for Christmas but year after year vandals attack it.

The 13m-high (43ft) animal in Gävle, east central Sweden has been torched 23 times since it was first erected in 1966. It has also been hit by a car and had its legs cut off.

The Gävle Goat is a giant version of a traditional Swedish Yule Goat figure. It's made of straw from Slottstorget in central Gävle.

It has been erected each year since 1966 by the local Natural Science club though since 1994 a second has been created by the Southern Merchants club. This version is the largest of the two, but that too has been the target of frequent arson attacks and vandalism.

In recent years the local council has tried many forms of deterrents, such as fireproofing chemicals, the police, soldiers, webcams, volunteers and dogs.

The city officially discourages the attacks on the goats, though because of this, the goats and the city have had world recognition and an increase in tourism.

The police rarely catch anyone behind the attacks but in 2001 a 51-year-old American tourist spent 18 days in jail after being convicted of setting it alight.

Since 1966 only 10 of the goats have survived.

According to Sweedish folklore, Goats delivered festive gifts before Father Christmas took over.

A giant Christmas straw goat that has been targeted in a violent Christmas tradition for four decades in Sweden was burned down yet again on Saturday, an official said.

"It was set on fire early in the morning; it's very sad," goat committee spokeswoman Anna Ostman said. "People from 105 countries have followed the goat via the Web cams and many become really sad when they learn that he's burned down. We have heard from a lot of people, including the United States."

Vandals have burned the 43-foot (13-meter)-high goat 23 times since it was first set up in the central Swedish city of Gavle on Dec. 3, 1966 to mark the holiday season.

The traditional yuletide goat has also been smashed several times, run over by a car and had its legs cut off.

A year ago the goat made it through the holiday season.

GOAT HIGHLIGHTS
1966: The first goat is burned down - beginning the tradition
1970: It is set on fire six hours after being erected
1971: Tired of arson, the project is abandoned. Schoolchildren build a miniature. It is smashed to pieces.<br>1976: A car crashes into the goat
1979: The goat is burned down before it is finished
1987: The goat is treated with fireproofing - but still goes up in smoke