Gävle Goat not dead yet

Iconic Swedish xmas feature still intact
By Will Collette

From the Goat's own blog - yesterday was cold and
snowy

Continuing Progressive Charlestown's third year of coverage of the Gävle Goat, a very distant cousin of Charlestown's own New Year's Eve bonfire, I am happy to report the Goat is still alive and well, though cold and wet.

Every year, the residents of Gävle erect a 30-foot high goat effigy of sticks and straw and then tries to keep evil goat-haters from burning it down before the town's official bonfire on Christmas. Most years, the arsonists win and get the goat; last year, they did it in 12 days.


This year, the goat erectors decided to coat the goat with flame retardants. Unsporting, but so far, effective.

The Goat has its own daily blog and today reported that weather conditions - cold and snowy - helped it to make it through one more day.

I can tell you that Charlestown's own New Year's Eve bonfire will not be hampered by flame retardants. Last year's cold and snowy conditions in Charlestown actually made the bonfire special by creating 20 foot high mini-tornadoes.