This will be followed up with a Wood Goat, and a Brick Goat?

Half of the inhabitants take pride in the giant animal, while the other half take equal pride in attempting to burn it down.

/so the town is just like a Fark discussion thread.

I gotta be honest, there's nothing in this story that doesn't amuse me.

BurnShrike: This will be followed up with a Wood Goat, and a Brick Goat?

I bet Brick Goat makes a mean pizza oven.

stevie1der: I gotta be honest, there's nothing in this story that doesn't amuse me.

Especially the American tourist...

Somewhere back in time right now, there are a few guys in a bar talking about how and why they're planning on burning the goat down the first time. I wish I had a TARDIS.

From wikipedia:

"2005 Burnt by unknown vandals reportedly dressed as Santa and a gingerbread man by shooting a flaming arrow at the goat at 21:00 on 3 December. Reconstructed on 5 December. The hunt for the arsonist responsible for the goat-burning in 2005 was featured on the weekly Swedish live broadcast TV3's "Most Wanted" ("Efterlyst") on 8 December."

That's how you celebrate the holidays

/love it when the goat burns
//hate it when it stands

I am not going to comment on how other people raise their children.

/don't want my shiat burnt up
//wait, I could start anew

Those idiot Swedes, How can they not see this coming?

/wait, thinking battle axes, and boats.

I am not going to comment on how other people raise their children.

/standing firm!

Now I have a new holiday tradition, betting on a burning goat. I agree, I find this article amusing.

"In 2001, it was torched by an American tourist, who served a month in jail and was fined 100,000 kronor ($14,700), while claiming in his defense that he thought he had been participating in a local and perfectly legal tradition"

Poor drunk bastard. You know the locals had a blast with that guy. "Let's get this yankee drunk and talk him into doing the deed!".

Well done, Swedes.

H31N0US: "In 2001, it was torched by an American tourist, who served a month in jail and was fined 100,000 kronor ($14,700), while claiming in his defense that he thought he had been participating in a local and perfectly legal tradition"

Poor drunk bastard. You know the locals had a blast with that guy. "Let's get this yankee drunk and talk him into doing the deed!".

Well done, Swedes.

The funniest part is that the cops wouldn't give him his lighter back after he was released from prison. They remarked that he was "obviously not responsible enough" to possess a lighter.

UberDave: If whoever did this is caught, they are going to regret the day they were Björn...

There's a reason you're on my favorites list. HAHAHA!

/made me chuckle.

Best, town, ever.

Seriously all the people getting upset over this need a humor transplant.

Simple to understand solution. Make it out of non-flammable materials. Problem solved.

Cloudchaser Sakonige the Red Wolf: Simple to understand solution. Make it out of non-flammable materials. Problem solved.

Misses the point. The town depends on the attention the flaming goat brings. Hell, the American tourist that got busted had the book thrown at him, probably because he did what the city council does each year. They couldn't have that. Seriously - they know it's a target, you'd think they'd do a better job protecting it if they sincerely did not want it to burn.

/wants to torch that goat someday, but as an American I am afraid I'd be deported

A straw goat? Who cares.

Now if they had a straw sheep, I'd guard it's virginity it with my life.

Cloudchaser Sakonige the Red Wolf: Simple to understand solution. Make it out of non-flammable materials. Problem solved.

I've got an even easier, less expensive solution:

Don't build it at all.

At least they got all the sacrificial virgins loaded up inside first, didn't they?

RoosterCogburn: To be fair, it does have a metal frame to it - so burning the hell out of it really causes no damage.

Also... it's a farking goat. What the hell does that have to do with Christmas?

No ordinary goat, it's a Julbock and a throwback to Germanic Paganism.

Yay for Germanic Paganism, the Faith of my Fathers.

AngryJailhouseFistfark: At least they got all the sacrificial virgins loaded up inside first, didn't they?

RoosterCogburn: To be fair, it does have a metal frame to it - so burning the hell out of it really causes no damage.

Also... it's a farking goat. What the hell does that have to do with Christmas?

No ordinary goat, it's a Julbock and a throwback to Germanic Paganism.

Yay for Germanic Paganism, the Faith of my Fathers.

yep,most of our Christmas traditions come from good ole Germanic paganism. I'm personally doing my best to bring back the Krampus!

pagan burning festival, and no pic of Nic Cage?

Cerebral Knievel: AngryJailhouseFistfark: At least they got all the sacrificial virgins loaded up inside first, didn't they?

RoosterCogburn: To be fair, it does have a metal frame to it - so burning the hell out of it really causes no damage.

Also... it's a farking goat. What the hell does that have to do with Christmas?

No ordinary goat, it's a Julbock and a throwback to Germanic Paganism.

Yay for Germanic Paganism, the Faith of my Fathers.

yep,most of our Christmas traditions come from good ole Germanic paganism. I'm personally doing my best to bring back the Krampus!

biatch, please! Just as many "Christian" traditions come from Celtic paganism.

sheep_shagger: Cerebral Knievel: AngryJailhouseFistfark: At least they got all the sacrificial virgins loaded up inside first, didn't they?

RoosterCogburn: To be fair, it does have a metal frame to it - so burning the hell out of it really causes no damage.

Also... it's a farking goat. What the hell does that have to do with Christmas?

No ordinary goat, it's a Julbock and a throwback to Germanic Paganism.

Yay for Germanic Paganism, the Faith of my Fathers.

yep,most of our Christmas traditions come from good ole Germanic paganism. I'm personally doing my best to bring back the Krampus!

biatch, please! Just as many "Christian" traditions come from Celtic paganism.

biatch please! like Im gonna take anything serious from someone talking about the Celts with a name like sheep shagger! :D

;) just playing of course. all of our old traditions were raped and accommodated to generate new converts. but, you cannot deny that most modern American Christmas traditions were lifted from the Germanic tribes by the Victorians. Christmas tree and etc. I'm personally getting ready to take on some part time Santa gigs here pretty soon.. I charge $250 an hour to show up ant office parties in the suit and take shots with the cubicle farm people.
but when pressed in this modern PC age? I wish folks a merry yule