Gävle goat unscathed after arson attack
Published: 15th December 2006 14:42 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/5815/
An attempt was made in the small hours of Friday morning to burn down the Gävle goat.
But arsonists did not succeed in setting fire to much more than a red ribbon on one of its legs, lending credence to the Goat Committee's earlier claims of impregnability for this year's beast.
"Some straw was burnt, but we have replaced it now," said Anna Östman, spokeswoman for the Goat Committee.
For forty years the goat has presided over a square in the centre of the town. And on 22 occasions the 3 tonne straw animal has had its festive season cut short by acts of arson and destruction perpetrated on its sturdy frame.
But ever since Norwegian company Fiber ProTector arrived on the scene at the beginning of December the task of turning the goat into a blazing shadow of its former self has proved much more difficult.
"The whole goat would have burned down if it wasn’t for the flame retardant chemicals," said Östman.
The burning of the goat, though illegal, is an international selling point for the town of Gävle. But this year the town Goat Committee decided that the monumental creature deserved protection for its 40th birthday.
In a bid to make this a happy Christmas for its favourite symbol the town authorities called in the Norwegians.
"We have made tests using petrol, oil, everything. It's not possible to burn the goat," Fiber ProTector's Swedish salesman Mats Lorensson told The Local.
If there's one thing that really gets a Swede's goat, it's a cocky Norwegian.
Dominic the Christmas goat...
La la la-la... la la la lala...
Ahhhhhhhh goat burnin'. What fun.
a straw Christmas goat? Um. . .
So that's where the phrase, "get your goat" came from.
The Gävle Goat survived attack
The Gävle Goat has survived an attack from arsonists on the 15 December. Somebody tried to set one of the legs on fire, but the fire was immediately stopped by the flame retardant chemicals that protect the Gävle Goat.
- Some straw was brunt, but we have replaced now, says Anna Ostman, spokeswoman of the Goat Committee.
- The whole goat would have burned down if it wasn’t for the flame retardant chemicals.
- We are very confident that the Gävle Goat will make it this year.
Some straw has now been replaced.
- The whole goat would have burned down if it wasn’t for the flame retardant chemicals.
Gävlebocken ping to the Swedish Ping List. 
Ping.
"Last year's goat was burned down by vandals dressed up as Santa Claus and the Gingerbread Man. They were never caught."
ROFLOL For some reason the idea of Santa and the Gingerbread Man running away after setting fire to a straw goat tickled my funny bone.
Cabin fever starts early in Sweden...
LOL... this is an interesting tradition... But I'm trying to understand what the goat represents... The triangle shape of Christmas tree at first represented the Trinity. Then the pine represents the ability to be born and be 'fresh' even in a cold winter time. How about the goat?
"There's smell of gasoline and the ribbon is a bit smutty, but otherwise it's unhurt,"
Smutty ribbon?
How about sooty?