In Sweden, people erect a giant straw goat
Goats—or Yule goats, to be specific—were supposed to help deliver gifts during the holiday season, and Santa was believed to ride a goat instead of his sleigh. So every year, a town in Sweden welcomes the Christmas season by erecting a giant straw statue of a goat. Then they wait, sometimes even bet, to see whether the goal will stand until Christmas day.
The strangest part of this tradition is that no matter how hard local officials try to protect the straw goat, someone earnestly tries to burn it, especially in the city of Gävle. Cameras are put up, fences are raised, and the gigantic straw goat itself is sprayed with water and flameproof chemicals, but still, the statue never makes it to Christmas in one piece. And although it’s frustrating to build something only for it to be burnt down, looks like Sweden will never give this tradition up.
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