Sweden's Christmas goat burned down on opening day

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Thu Dec 1, 2016, 04:25 PM - Edit history (1)

Okay, so there's this town in Sweden, Gävle, where they put up this giant straw goat every year:

Gävle goat

The Gävle Goat (Swedish: Gävlebocken) is a traditional Christmas display erected annually at Slottstorget in central Gävle, Sweden. It is a giant version of a traditional Swedish Yule Goat figure made of straw. It is erected each year at the beginning of Advent over a period of two days by local community groups, and has become famous for being destroyed in arson attacks during December. Despite security measures and the nearby presence of a fire station, the goat has been burned to the ground most years since its first appearance in 1966. As of November 2016, the goat has been damaged 36 times.
....

History

The Gävle Goat is erected every year on the first day of Advent, which according to Western Christian tradition is in late November or early December, depending on the calendar year. In 1966, an advertising consultant, Stig Gavlén, came up with the idea of making a giant version of the traditional Swedish Yule Goat and placing it in the square.[3] The design of the first goat was assigned to the then chief of the Gävle fire department, Gavlén's brother Jörgen Gavlén. The construction of the goat was carried out by the fire department, and they erected the goat each year from 1966 to 1970 and from 1986 to 2002. The first goat was financed by Harry Ström. On 1 December 1966, a 13-metre (43 ft) tall, 7-metre (23 ft) long, 3-tonne goat was erected in the square. On New Year's Eve, the goat was burnt down, and the perpetrator was found and convicted of vandalism. The goat was insured, and Ström got all of his money back.

This year's didn't make it too far:

The 2016 Gävle Christmas goat, only hours after it was launched. Photo: Roger Nilsson/TT

Sweden's Christmas goat burned down on opening day

Published: 28 Nov 2016 07:44 GMT+01:00
Updated: 28 Nov 2016 16:48 GMT+01:00

The 2016 incarnation of Sweden’s giant Christmas goat didn't even manage to last 24 hours, as it was burned to the ground on inauguration day.

The 13-metre-tall, 3.6 tonne straw goat in Gävle, central Sweden was launched for the year’s festival period on Sunday afternoon. But by 11pm it was engulfed in flames.

“There will be a great, great sadness for Gävle residents, the Gävle goat and for all of its fans over the world,” Maria Wallberg, a spokesperson for the goat’s organizers told news agency TT.

The huge yule goat is built every year in Gävle’s Slottstorget square, and there is enough hype for the build-up to be shown live on Swedish web TV channels. The goat also has a degree of international fame – thanks in no small part to the tradition of someone destroying it, year after year, most commonly through the use of fire. It even has its own Twitter account.

https://twitter.com/gavlebocken?lang=en

ETA, 3:20 p.m.: Previously at DU:

2015:
Ladies and Gentlemen, Here's Your 2015 Gävlebocken

2014:
Will Sweden's Gävle Goat survive this year?

[Maru Kitteh]

1. I guess there are mean people everywhere.

Too bad. It sounds like many of the residents really enjoy this festival.

[pansypoo53219]

2. i think last year it made it to xmas.