The Season Of The Goat 2015

November 26, 2015 2:30 AM

Hi friends! Soon I´m back om my feet, and we shall se each other again! #sharegavle #gavlegoat And thus begins the live cam from Gävle Sweden, and the construction of the Christmas Goat has begun!
posted by hippybear (31 comments total)

Torso just went up onto the legs. :)
posted by hippybear at 3:01 AM on November 26, 2015

IT BEGINS
posted by comealongpole at 4:02 AM on November 26, 2015

The goat is afoot!
posted by comealongpole at 4:03 AM on November 26, 2015

Another thing that should perhaps be added to the Sweden Simulator; perhaps with unlockable pyromania mode.
posted by acb at 4:23 AM on November 26, 2015 [8 favorites]

🇸🇪🐐🔥
posted by leotrotsky at 4:38 AM on November 26, 2015 [8 favorites]

It just warms your heart ... and maybe your hands...
posted by julen at 4:45 AM on November 26, 2015 [2 favorites]

I'm burning to know what will happen this season!
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:36 AM on November 26, 2015 [3 favorites]

Maybe we could call a straw poll for MeFites to go on record how long they think the Goat will endure.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:55 AM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

You should read the Wikipedia timeline of the fates of the Gävle goats of past years. Some of my favorites:

1968 The goat survived. A fence was built around the goat. Previously it was popular for children to play hide-and-seek inside and around the goat. There was also a rumor that one night a couple had sex inside the goat. In subsequent years the inside of the goat was protected by a chicken-wire net.

1978 Again, the goat was kicked to pieces.

1996 The first time the goat was guarded by webcams, nothing happened.
posted by Cash4Lead at 6:31 AM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

A couple having sex inside a goat which is then set alight sounds like Peak Wicker Man.
posted by acb at 7:05 AM on November 26, 2015 [8 favorites]

I was so excited when he survived all season last year! And then he moved to China. I'm not a big holiday person, but Gavelgoat makes me very happy.
posted by jazon at 7:13 AM on November 26, 2015

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR
posted by poffin boffin at 8:16 AM on November 26, 2015

I was so excited when he survived all season last year!

Uh yeah, me too. So excited he survived. *stashes matchbook*
posted by leotrotsky at 8:22 AM on November 26, 2015 [5 favorites]

YAY GAVLE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAT!

I don't know whether or not to root for survival or a creative death, honestly.

I'm so obsessed with the Gavle Goat that I did this. And this.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:28 AM on November 26, 2015 [5 favorites]

More holiday goats, meet the Caiutii several countries in Europe have versions of these , they like stealing hats.
posted by boilermonster at 9:29 AM on November 26, 2015

The struggles of the Christmas goat makes me happy. I always root for the goat and curse the arsonists, but honestly, if they weren't so determined to burn it I wouldn't pay attention at all.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:32 AM on November 26, 2015 [2 favorites]

My Christmas wish: I'm hoping for a drone attack on the Goat this year. Hopefully a swarm of mini quadcopters, each with some kind of live flame. Their choreographed dance in the sky will amaze and delight unsuspecting onlookers, before the swarm gracefully descends onto the Goat and burns it to the ground.
posted by Kabanos at 9:37 AM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

jenfullmoon, you are THE BEST!!!!
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:07 AM on November 26, 2015 [2 favorites]

Oh, it's finally on YouTube. I can post The Billy Goat by The Refreshments, one of my favorite holiday songs.
posted by hippybear at 10:24 AM on November 26, 2015

Last year when the Gavle Goat wanted songs on its blog, I posted The Billy Goat. It ignored me.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:58 AM on November 26, 2015

It seems only yesterday the goat was safe! Now the dread wait begins anew!
posted by winna at 11:00 AM on November 26, 2015 [3 favorites]

I'm rooting for flare guns this year, or maybe a flamethrowing guitar a la Mad Max.
posted by WidgetAlley at 11:28 AM on November 26, 2015

jenfullmoon is clearly the best person in the entire universe.

My mom just asked me how many gavle goats I could knit before Christmas.
posted by julen at 1:03 PM on November 26, 2015 [2 favorites]

My Christmas wish: I'm hoping for a drone attack on the Goat this year. Hopefully a swarm of mini quadcopters, each with some kind of live flame. Their choreographed dance in the sky will amaze and delight unsuspecting onlookers, before the swarm gracefully descends onto the Goat and burns it to the ground.

Might need thermite this year, it's been fire-proofed with sodium silicate. Dunno if that will be reflected in the betting.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:03 PM on November 26, 2015 [1 favorite]

julen, let me know the answer to that!
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:51 PM on November 28, 2015

December 12, still standing and tweeting.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 3:01 AM on December 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

There are less than 6 hours of daylight in Gavle today. No wonder they want to light the place up.
posted by vespabelle at 8:09 AM on December 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

One week left until Christmas!
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:40 AM on December 18, 2015

The goat survived the Solstice at least!
posted by Sara C. at 2:31 PM on December 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

So far the only damage is that the "little brother" lost two of its foot ribbons. If that's all the drama this year, it's a miracle.

In other news, I found Swedish goat ornaments for sale at Dickens Fair and that pleased me. Also, my coworkers are now talking about the goat since I wore my goat sweater to work again and then sent them some fun links.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:11 PM on December 22, 2015

Made it!
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:27 AM on December 24, 2015 [1 favorite]