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May 25, 2012
Gävle goat succumbs to flames
Published: 23 Dec 09 08:49 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/24012/20091223/
Yuletide arsonists have once again successfully set the Gävle goat ablaze. Police received a call around 3am on Wednesday that the Christmas goat in the eastern Swedish town was on fire.
- White Christmas in store for Sweden (22 Dec 09)
- Christmas shopping guide: Swedish design online (22 Dec 09)
- Gävle goat a sitting duck (7 Nov 08)
This was the 43rd traditional straw goat that Gävle has erected in the main city square a few weeks prior to Christmas. It has become a local sport to attempt to burn the goat to the ground.
“It was more or less just a skeleton by the time we got there,” Göran Lyrberg, commander on duty at the Gävle police, told TT news agency.
No one has been arrested for the incident, which is classified as serious vandalism. Most Gävle goats have been burned down or vandalised in some other way.
In the last couple of years, the goat has not been treated with flame retardant because it previously discoloured the straw creature and detracted from its grand stature.
External link: Gävle goat webcam (live) »
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Swedish word of the day
lång
adjective
Lång means long, tall and can be used for height, distance or time.
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What about putting up CCTV directed at the goat?
One would assume it might be important to catch who is doing this as it is considered as serious vanndalism.
what about balaclavas ? :)
Give them a few years and it will become and official that the locals will attend and will be televised on STV1 during prime time where all Swedes sit with their family and watch it burn.
"what about balaclavas ? :)"
Touché. ;)
I totally agree with ya !
Firstly, it costs the southern merchants a stupid amount of money to contribute to this goat (My best freinds store is next to that transit van in the above picture).
Then, you have the people that say the goat shouldn't be burned, because it's thier money, it costs alot, it's pretty, it kills the jul spirit, etc.
The fact is, Gavle would just be another humble medium sized city in the scandinavian backwoods if it wasn't for this torchable goat. Instead, Gavle is known world over for this "sport", and has begun to grow a kind of reputation, or brand. It's on the map now! (in agreement with Beynch).
I can assure you, the municipality is NOT up to this. The've gone so far as posting CCTV cameras on it.
Sad that the authorities must destroy the goat just for some coverage in the media.
I kind of assume the burning in itself has become somewhat of a ritual.
Agree with a previous poster that if this indeed has become a ritual at least put it on tv for all to watch.
that would look good on cctv they can do this next year to add some more spice to the tradition
and the next year they could use a time delay incendiary, stuff it in the straw at lunch time and sit back and wait!