Posted on 11/28/2011 4:38:48 PM PST by afraidfortherepublic
Advent Sunday means it is time for the inauguration of the famous 13 metre tall Christmas goat (Gävlebocken) in the main square of Gävle, on the east coast of Sweden.
•Gävle Goat survives Christmas Eve (25 Dec 10) •Gävle goat targeted in foiled helicopter heist (17 Dec 10) •Gävle goat succumbs to flames (23 Dec 09) •Flames finally consume Gävle Christmas goat (27 Dec 08) To the uninitiated, the annual saga of whether or not the goat survives intact until Christmas Day, has become a tradition of Yuletide in Sweden.
The giant straw goat, which has been erected in the town's main square, Slottstorget, every year since 1966, undergoes a battle against the elements and local arsonists every year, which splits loyalties in the town.
Half of the people take pride in the giant animal, while the other half take equal pride in attempting to burn it down. To date, the goat has been burnt down more times than it has survived the Christmas period.
Large sums of money apparently change hands, as people bet on whether it will survive, or how long it lasts before being burnt down and previous attempts to sabotage it have even included the bribing of security guards.
Each year, new ingenious methods are employed to guarantee the survival of the goat, whose story has reached the Guiness Book of World Records, and 2011 is no exception.
Those trying to protect the goat are planning to douse it in water with the idea that if it freezes, it will be much more difficult to burn down, according to daily Aftonbladet.
I don’t know is this is a religious custom, or a secular custom. I just cannot fathom the meaning of a straw goat, except that he’s cute and colorful. Does anybody know the background meaning of this custom?
It’s probably erected to please the muslims.
Who knows! It sure sounds like a fun tradition, though. Anyone want to make a sporting wager?
I have a few cans of whale meat stashed away that I can bet against something equally non-PC....
Eventually, this is how we will conquer Sweden. Think Trojan horse.
Aweenda shmure da Christmas goot!
No, Probably not. But I’d bet that it probably erects the Muslims and they please themselves.
“It’s probably erected to please the muslims.”
It’s actually sponsored by a mooslimb dating service...
Ewe Harmony..
Half of the people take pride in the giant animal, while the other half take equal pride in attempting to burn it down. To date, the goat has been burnt down more times than it has survived the Christmas period.
Hilarious!
Erected Goat Ping!
Now to me, this is idolatry.
This is so much fun! I watch every year. You to understand scandanavian traditions. I’ll explain later.
What’s your take on the giant julbock?
It’s not even December and the Swedes have cabin fever. What are they going to do in February? Build a car and light it on fire? Oh, that’s right, that’s Chevy and the Volt.
Please pass the creamed herring.
You really need to learn the meaning of that word. It doesn’t mean what you think it means.
Well, that certainly explains it. I wonder if the expression “the old goat” (referring to an elder, male figure) is derived from this custom? I’ve never heard of this custom in the US. Do Swedish immigrants practice this?
BTW, my family traces its origins to Swedish immigrants (New Sweden near Philadelphia) to the 1640s. But Swedish customs have long since been forgotten and left behind.
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