The Sad, Twisted Tale of the Gavle Christmas Goat

My acquaintance with the Gävle Goat in Sweden actually dates back to before I even had Pasqualina — this because my friend Annika lives in Gävle. If you haven’t heard about the Gävle Goat, it’s a 13-meter (42+ feet) tall straw structure that’s built in the center of Gävle, Sweden at Christmastime every year:

Gävle Goat by plastAnka on Flickr

Gävle Goat by plastAnka on Flickr

And every year, some people try to destroy it, often successfully. It’s supposed to come down on January 3 of the new year, but rarely does it make it intact through the entire holiday season, usually succumbing to a fire.

2005 Gävle Goat set afire

2005 Gävle Goat set afire

This year, there was even a foiled helicopter kidnapping (no pun intended) plot, but as of right now, the Gävle Goat is still standing — so maybe, just maybe, he’ll still be around to ring in 2011 with his little goat bell.

Wait, do giant straw goats get bells?

Anyway, buon anno from our pen to yours!

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One Response to “The Sad, Twisted Tale of the Gavle Christmas Goat”
  1. 01.04.2011

    What a cool tale! Did the goat make it?

    My friend Annika informs me that it did, Teresa! Woohoo! Year of the Goat! Kinda 😉

    [Reply]


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