Gävle goat, Gävle

The Gävle Goat is a traditional Christmas display erected annually at Slottstorget in central Gävle, Sweden. It is a giant version of a traditional Swedish Yule Goat figure made of straw. It is erected each year by local community groups at the beginning of Advent over a period of two days. It has been the subject of repeated arson attacks, and, despite security measures and a nearby fire station, the goat has been burned to the ground most years since its first appearance in 1966. As of December 2021, 38 out of 56 goats have been destroyed or damaged in some way. Burning or destroying the goat in some way is illegal, and the Svea Court of Appeal has stated that the offence should normally carry a 3-month prison sentence; in 2018, it sentenced a 27-year-old man to a suspended sentence and day fines for aggravated property damage for burning the goat. ()