Two mysterious men attempted to bribe a guard to leave his post watching over the giant goat in Gävle in eastern Sweden in an attempt to kidnap the iconic Christmas symbol using a helicopter. The two ...

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world's hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook, Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter @atlasobscura. At this time of year, the residents of Gävle, Sweden have one big ...

The Scandinavian Christmas goat began as a strange and chaotic holiday figure tied to older winter traditions. In Sweden, stories describe horned figures in animal skins and goat skulls bursting into ...

Since the 1960s, the city of Gävle in Sweden has annually built a towering Yule goat, and almost every year someone burns it down. Charred remains of the Natural Science Club’s Yule Goat, with the ...

Welcome to Declassified, a weekly humor column. It’s the most goating time of the year in Scandinavia. All cultures have their quirky Christmas traditions — especially in Europe — from Catalonian ...

It's called the "Gävle Goat," or as the locals call it, Gävlebocken. The Gävle Goat is an enormous, 40-foot-plus traditional Swedish Yule Goat made of straw over a wooden frame. Erected every year for ...

In the Swedish town of Gävle, there is a large goat made of straw. For nearly 50 years, the people of Gävle have erected the 13-metre goat in the town's main square. It's become a Christmas tradition ...

In Gävle, Sweden, nothing says “Christmas” like the sight of a four-ton straw goat overlooking the town square. Too bad some jerk usually comes along and lights it on fire. The first Gävle Goat was ...

On Nov. 27, the 2016 Gävle goat was burned to the ground just hours after a party in its honour. Gävle goat spokesperson Maria Wallberg says she hopes another straw goat will be built before Christmas ...