The goat did not burn in 2022

Gävlebocken has stood unharmed since the unveiling on November 27 through December and into january 1st 2023

See yall in 11 months or so, hoping for better luck then

Ready, set, strike your matches 🔥🐐🔥

Less than three days to the 2022 yule goat!

Friendly reminder that on the 27th the 2022 the yule goat of Gävle will be erected

Here's the link to the live streaming of the inauguration, that will start at 16:00 (+1 GMT):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFi13M4ZnKE

Let the game begin!

I hope the Gävle Goat burns this year, but also, will we really ever top 2005 when a gingerbread man and Santa burned it down by shooting a flaming arrow at it?

Second day of Christmas : the Yule Goat

In Scandinavian countries, the Yule Goat or Julbock is an emblematic Christmas figure taken straight from Norse and Germanic mythologies. Inspired from the goats who accompanied Thor and turned malevolent and satanic at the moment of Christianism's coming, he became good again in the 19th century and it was then said he was the one bringing presents to children, before being rewritten agai as just the Julenisse's mate/steed, the elf who is said to be the one bringing gifts more recently. The reason why I drew him crisp burnt is referring to the Gävle Goat, Sweden. It's super funny, but too long tocbe explained here, there are lots of articles and videos on the subject and this year is a new step in its history

In Honor of The Eaten

Oh the guards were guarding grumbly,

And the birds were flocking hungrily,

And it seems: that the flames will fail to be,

Sounds: like the car won't ram you see,

Looks: like the end of the Goat will be,

Food. For. Birds.

It seems: that security can't prevent.

Looks: that the fence's of no event.

Seems: Gävle Goat will be food for birbs!

Honestly the whole Gävlebocken tradition is ridiculous. Not because of the arson; that's the most beautiful thing. But because the city REFUSES to acknowledge it as a part of the tradition. They could really make something wonderful of it. Turn it into a festival, open market stalls, encourage people to come and enjoy the spectacle. They could be making money on it too! It has the potential to become a tourist destination and draw in people from all over!! Instead they spend boatloads on private security and fences and webcam streams. Embrace the dumb tradition and get the stick out of your ass, Gävle.

Besides, fire is cleansing. Close out the year with a giant pyre, eat and get drunk, and start fresh the next morning.

If you find the goat being eaten by jackdaws interesting you might also be curious to find out about the fate of the goat for every year it has existed as well as what the heck is up with that thing in the first place in this very good video by Jeffiot.

Im some.

As a Swede I’m naturally invested in the Gävle goat and I’m NOT on the torchers side. While quite cool (FIRE!) it started with greasers wanting to have some fun and wanton destruction with the local shop corporations big commercial Christmas goat from 1966.

While the Christmas goat IS old it was never big and no, it was never burnt for any traditional reasons.

In ye olden times the goat came with gifts. Any connections to Krampus? Hard to tell really. Probably? Anyways. The goat is Gävle has burned many times since the 60s and that is how a tradition is formed. Last year the moved it to a more densely populated area, meaning that IF you torched it you would be charged with arson.

THIS year it hasn’t been torched (yet) BUT something else happened. Jackdaws! The odd weather during the summer left short hay with lots of kernels left. The Jackdaws has eaten it to the bone!

This is lovely! A sacrifice to nature! If not fire then smart western jackdaw. I wish you all a real Christmas feast.

O Christmas Goat, O Christmas Goat,

How lovely is your straw head!

O Christmas Goat, O Christmas Goat,

The local birds must be fed!

Not lonely now in Sweden's street,

All covered up in snow and sleet.

O Christmas Goat, O Christmas Goat,

You could be burning instead!

Gävle