Sweden’s famous ‘Yule Goat’ lit fire … again
Reuters
A giant straw goat in the Swedish city of Gävle, 200 km northwest of Stockholm, was set on fire on December 17 for the first time in five years, which revives a long tradition of locals who illegally try to set it on fire and the authorities try to stop it. them.
Police said they had arrested a man in his 40s who witnesses claimed had acted suspiciously before the fire early in the day.
Gävle Julbocken, or Christmas goat in Swedish, is a 42-foot-high statue made of wood and straw that is erected every year before Christmas, and has become known throughout the country since it was first installed on a square in 1966 as a marketing ploy. It was burned down on New Year’s Eve that year.
Small Christmas goats made of straw are traditionally placed around Swedish homes during the Christmas weekend. Their origins have been traced to ancient pagan festivals.
Gavle Yule Goat, who is included in the Guinness Book of Records, is known not for his size but for the often elaborate plans to destroy it.
Authorities have over the years hired guards and deployed video surveillance around the clock and huge amounts of flame retardants to protect the statue, but it has been burned or otherwise destroyed at least 35 times.
Two assailants – one dressed as Santa Claus and the other as a gingerbread man – set it on fire with bows and burning arrows in 2005. The culprits were never arrested.
The Santa Claus has also been run over by cars, set on fire by fireworks and simply smashed with clubs. The webcam has been hacked and the local tourist administration says that there was once a wrong plan to kidnap it with a helicopter.
British bookmakers have even offered to bet on the probability that they will survive Christmas.
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Julget picture provided by Pernilla Wahlman / TT Nyhetsbyrån.