Sweden
Long Live The Gävle Goat?
The Gävle Goat is back, and it’s already survived longer than it did last year.
Last year, we shared the Christmas tradition of the Gävle Goat (or Gävlebocken), a 42-foot high goat made of straw that attracts Swedes from far and wide by the thousands to the town of Gävle.
The goat also attracts its fair share of arsonists (and other destructionists) who have made it a tradition of their own to burn (or destroy) it.
The goat, which project spokesperson Maria Wallberg told us last year takes 1,000 man hours to produce, weighs three tons and uses about a mile of rope, debuted on Nov. 27 in 2016, only to survive a few hours – it’s 50th anniversary no less – before being burned to the ground (his little brother, a replacement goat, was then plowed over by a car on Dec. 5).
This year’s goat was unveiled yesterday, and according to The Local, extra security measures are in place to protect the beloved holiday spectacle for visitors to enjoy throughout the Christmas season.
You can watch the Gävle Goat here, read of its history here or follow along on Twitter or Facebook.
