The iconic Swedish straw goat that goes on display in the town of Gavle every Christmas is once again facing a struggle to survive through the festive period.
Each year the goat is in the limelight all across the Scandinavian country and beyond as it tries to avoid a number of arsonists who clearly lack the Christmas spirit.
Reports from Gavle, eastern Sweden, revealed that a smaller goat, affectionately known as his younger brother, had already fallen victim to the vandals after they turned up and burnt it on Thursday night. Students from a local school had only out the poor goat on display a few days earlier. A witness said that three vandals knocked the goat of its perch and buried its face in the ground before fleeing before police arrived.
The act of vandalism came just a few days after Gavle’s renowned 13-foot goat was put on display in front of an estimated 15,000 spectators. Although organisers do everything they can to protect it from violence – even putting a taxi rank around it this year – it regularly is burnt to a crisp before Christmas Eve.
Gavle municipality head of communications Johan Adolfsson said that the taxi rank was the best idea they had had yet to protect the goat, adding that they were hopeful it would still be standing proud on 29 December. He explained that with the taxi rank where it is, people could keep an eye out for vandals and protect the much-loved goat.
Last year the goat survived until 21 December before being set alight. Since it first appeared in the town in 1966, it has been burnt down 24 times. An American tourist was even arrested and convicted of arson after setting alight to it because he thought it was part of the town’s Christmas traditions. The poor goat has even survived an attempted abduction by kidnappers on a helicopter.