page_title: Gävle
section_title: Gävle goat
hierarchical_section_title: Gävle / Miscellanea / Gävle goat
caption_attribution_description: English: Picture of the huge straw Yule goat in Gefle Sweden. The picture was taken at noon december 21, 2009.
context_page_description: Gävle is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 102 418 inhabitants in 2019, which makes it the 13th most populated city in Sweden. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland, having received its charter in 1446 from Christopher of Bavaria. However, Gävle is far nearer the greater Stockholm region than it is to the other major settlements in Norrland.
  In recent years, the city has received much international attention due to its large Yule Goat figure made of straw - the Gävle Goat. The goat is erected in December each year and is often subsequently vandalised, usually by being set on fire. The goat has now become a symbol for the city and is being used for various marketing purposes.
context_section_description: The history of the Gävle goat began in 1966. Stig Gavlén came up with the idea of placing a giant version of the traditional Swedish Christmas goat of straw in Slottstorget (Castle Square) in central Gävle. On 1 December the 13-metre tall, 7-metre long, 3 tonne goat was erected on the square. At midnight on New Year's Eve, the goat went up in flames. The goat has since had a history of being burnt almost every year, 2005 being the 22nd time it was burnt. Burning the goat is an illegal act and not welcomed by most citizens of Gävle, but undoubtedly this is what has made the goat famous. In 2006 the goat was covered in a flame-resistant coating to prevent arson, enabling the goat to remain standing throughout that winter. On December 27, 2015, the goat was burnt for the 28th time.
caption: The Gävle Goat in 2009.
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