http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091223/ap_on_fe_st/eu_sweden_christmas_goat
The Straw Goat is traditional in Sweden (which I did not know), but torching it has apparently become a tradition of its own. The goat is not supposed to be torched. Yet, despite the fact that someone tries to do this every year, they haven’t tried making it out of non-flammable materials. They tried fireproofing it, but gave that up when the fireproofing discolored it. (What do you call it when you do the same thing repeatedly, while hoping for a different outcome?)
Vandals have burned down the goat 24 times since it was first set up in Gavle in 1966 to mark the holiday season. It has also been smashed several times, run over by a car and had its legs cut off.
In 2006 and 2007 city officials doused it in fireproofing chemicals. Ostman said they stopped doing that because it discolored the goat, making it “look like a brown terrier instead of a yellow straw goat.”
The goat is a centuries-old Scandinavian yule symbol that preceded Santa Claus as the bringer of gifts to Swedish homes. Many Swedes place a small straw goat underneath their Christmas trees, or hang miniature versions on the branches.
My favorite part, at the end, of course:
Vandals are seldom caught, but in 2001, a 51-year-old visitor from Cleveland, Ohio, spent 18 days in jail for setting it ablaze.
In 2005, the goat was burned down by two arsonists dressed up as Santa Claus and the Gingerbread Man. They were never caught.
It’s only natural. Since Burning Man is held around the summer solstice, it stands to reason that Burning Goat should be built around the winter solstice.
These things should be built on the Equinoxes, of course…
“Vandals are seldom caught, but in 2001, a 51-year-old visitor from Cleveland, Ohio, spent 18 days in jail for setting it ablaze.”
One would THINK a 51 year old would have enough sense to not set public property ablaze in a foreign country…
Santa and the Gingerbread Man? It’s amazing they didn’t set themselves on fire with the amount of flammable material in those costumes!
billfish678:
“Vandals are seldom caught, but in 2001, a 51-year-old visitor from Cleveland, Ohio, spent 18 days in jail for setting it ablaze.”
One would THINK a 51 year old would have enough sense to not set public property ablaze in a foreign country…
I was thinking he had traveled there just to set fire to the goat…
Some people just make me go
billfish678:
“Vandals are seldom caught, but in 2001, a 51-year-old visitor from Cleveland, Ohio, spent 18 days in jail for setting it ablaze.”
One would THINK a 51 year old would have enough sense to not set public property ablaze in a foreign country…
“You were arrested grandpa?! What for?!”
"Goat burning. "
Serenata67:
Santa and the Gingerbread Man? It’s amazing they didn’t set themselves on fire with the amount of flammable material in those costumes!
I was thinking he had traveled there just to set fire to the goat…
Some people just make me go
I thought you were Going to say some people just get your goat.
aruvqan
December 23, 2009, 3:21pm
7
Ha! So that is why we have a little straw goat christmas tree decoration! [my parents had a swedish student visit them back in the early 60s for a month] It must have been a visitors gift.
We have some strange christmas tree decorations that my parents got over the years, manay of which my brother and I have absolutely no explaination of, and my mom is crackers and doesnt remember her breakfast let alone some obscure christmas decoration.
I’m afraid that if they got it, they’d set fire to it…
CalMeacham:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091223/ap_on_fe_st/eu_sweden_christmas_goat
The Straw Goat is traditional in Sweden (which I did not know), but torching it has apparently become a tradition of its own. The goat is not supposed to be torched. Yet, despite the fact that someone tries to do this every year, they haven’t tried making it out of non-flammable materials. They tried fireproofing it, but gave that up when the fireproofing discolored it.
You have to admit, the Concrete Goat would probably be much less practical.
flodnak
December 24, 2009, 8:04am
11
If I remember correctly, he claimed to have believed it was a perfectly legal tradition. I’m not sure if that would make him less stupid, or more.
“What’s you in for Gramps?”
Poor guy. Have you heard how fellow prisoners treat goataphiles?
Who was it who said that, if you do an Internet search for “people setting goats on fire” porn, you’ll get a prompt asking what kind of goat?
