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Swedish Christmas goat survives attack
AP/Yahoo News ^
| Fri Dec 15
| AP/Yahoo News
Posted on 12/15/2006 6:03:52 PM PST by indcons
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To: WesternCulture
"Every year, with help from the other residents of the village he builds a 12.5 metre (41 ft) goat. On the evening of Hedman's birthday, January 9, he and the other residents of the village burn it down. [8]"
Why?
To: indcons
"There's smell of gasoline and the ribbon is a bit smutty, but otherwise it's unhurt,"
Smutty ribbon?
How about sooty?
22
posted on
12/16/2006 11:41:28 AM PST
by
ViLaLuz
(2 Chronicles 7:14)
To: paudio
"But I'm trying to understand what the goat represents..."
Its pre Christian, I believe. From some web site on Scandinavian traditions.
"Previously, it was Julbok who gave out presents and then Tomte or Santa Claus came in. Today, Tomte and Julbok are no longer associated together though a little brownie known as Jultomten, helps Santa Claus to give gifts to good children in Sweden. Modern American figure is quickly catching up in Sweden and Tomte is losing his original identity."
A Tomte is an elf or gnome like creature.
To: ViLaLuz
The Swedish adjective smutsig means "dirty" and does not necesssarily have the connotation of "smut" as we think of it. Hence the confusion.
To: Charles Henrickson
That's interesting. Thanks for the insight! I guess English speakers could also consider 'smutty' as 'dirty', too.
25
posted on
12/17/2006 6:42:40 AM PST
by
ViLaLuz
(2 Chronicles 7:14)
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