Sweden's Christmas goat burned down on opening day
The 2016 incarnation of Sweden’s giant Christmas goat didn't even manage to last 24 hours, as it was burned to the ground on inauguration day.
READ ALSO: Swedes hope to rebuild burned-down yule goat
The 13-metre-tall, 3.6 tonne straw goat in Gävle, central Sweden was launched for the year’s festival period on Sunday afternoon. But by 11pm it was engulfed in flames.
“There will be a great, great sadness for Gävle residents, the Gävle goat and for all of its fans over the world,” Maria Wallberg, a spokesperson for the goat’s organizers told news agency TT.
The huge yule goat is built every year in Gävle’s Slottstorget square, and there is enough hype for the build-up to be shown live on Swedish web TV channels. The goat also has a degree of international fame – thanks in no small part to the tradition of someone destroying it, year after year, most commonly through the use of fire. It even has its own Twitter account.
Oh no, such a short amount of time with you my friends. But I shall rise from the ashes and see you next year again!
— Gävlebocken (@Gavlebocken) November 27, 2016
This year the local municipality spent 2.3 million kronor ($249,900) on the construction of the Christmas icon, its marketing, and the launch party. With 2016 also its 50th anniversary, the hope was to prevent a repeat of previous early endings.
In September, local politicians said they would try to have a ‘goat guarantee’ that it would survive its first weekend of the 2016 festive season. A number of high-tech security cameras were bought to try and protect it, yet they were unable to detect the goat burner.
Organizers said that the culprit managed to get past security when one of the two guards patrolling the area left briefly to go to the toilet, and the other one was on the other side of the goat.
READ ALSO: Five weirdest attacks on Sweden's straw yule goat
Police are looking for the perpetrator and have launched a preliminary investigation for inflicting gross damage.
No arrests have been made, and officers will continue the investigation during Monday. Police did not want to comment on how the fire may have been started.
“We don’t know how the fire started so unfortunately I can’t comment on that. We are very interested if there are more people who made observations from the scene. It’d be great to hear,” Police Central Region spokesperson Matilda Isaksson told news agency TT.
The 2016 Gävle Christmas goat during happier times, earlier on Sunday. Photo: Pernilla Wahlman/TT
Last year the goat was set alight by a drunken man on December 27th. He had initially denied responsibility for the fire, but a singed face, smell of gasoline and lighter in his hand at the time of apprehension was something of a giveaway.
Organizers first insisted that they would stick to the rule of one goat per year and that this year’s incarnation would not be rebuilt, regardless of how short lived it was. However, later on Monday they hinted that it could yet rise from the ashes.
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READ ALSO: Swedes hope to rebuild burned-down yule goat
The 13-metre-tall, 3.6 tonne straw goat in Gävle, central Sweden was launched for the year’s festival period on Sunday afternoon. But by 11pm it was engulfed in flames.
“There will be a great, great sadness for Gävle residents, the Gävle goat and for all of its fans over the world,” Maria Wallberg, a spokesperson for the goat’s organizers told news agency TT.
The huge yule goat is built every year in Gävle’s Slottstorget square, and there is enough hype for the build-up to be shown live on Swedish web TV channels. The goat also has a degree of international fame – thanks in no small part to the tradition of someone destroying it, year after year, most commonly through the use of fire. It even has its own Twitter account.
Oh no, such a short amount of time with you my friends. But I shall rise from the ashes and see you next year again!
— Gävlebocken (@Gavlebocken) November 27, 2016
This year the local municipality spent 2.3 million kronor ($249,900) on the construction of the Christmas icon, its marketing, and the launch party. With 2016 also its 50th anniversary, the hope was to prevent a repeat of previous early endings.
In September, local politicians said they would try to have a ‘goat guarantee’ that it would survive its first weekend of the 2016 festive season. A number of high-tech security cameras were bought to try and protect it, yet they were unable to detect the goat burner.
Organizers said that the culprit managed to get past security when one of the two guards patrolling the area left briefly to go to the toilet, and the other one was on the other side of the goat.
READ ALSO: Five weirdest attacks on Sweden's straw yule goat
Police are looking for the perpetrator and have launched a preliminary investigation for inflicting gross damage.
No arrests have been made, and officers will continue the investigation during Monday. Police did not want to comment on how the fire may have been started.
“We don’t know how the fire started so unfortunately I can’t comment on that. We are very interested if there are more people who made observations from the scene. It’d be great to hear,” Police Central Region spokesperson Matilda Isaksson told news agency TT.
The 2016 Gävle Christmas goat during happier times, earlier on Sunday. Photo: Pernilla Wahlman/TT
Last year the goat was set alight by a drunken man on December 27th. He had initially denied responsibility for the fire, but a singed face, smell of gasoline and lighter in his hand at the time of apprehension was something of a giveaway.
Organizers first insisted that they would stick to the rule of one goat per year and that this year’s incarnation would not be rebuilt, regardless of how short lived it was. However, later on Monday they hinted that it could yet rise from the ashes.
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