The biggest Christmas Goat in the world

The strange history of the Gävle Goat began in 1966. A man named Stig Gavlén came up with the idea of making a giant version of the traditional Swedish Christmas goat of straw. The aim was to attract customers to the the shops and restaurants in the southern part of the town centre.

On 2 December the 13-metre (42,6 feet) tall, 7-metre long, 3 tonne goat stood on the square. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, the goat went up in smoke. The perpetrator was found and charged with vandalism. The Gävle Goat has been burned down 25 times since then.

The mascot goat



The Gavle Goat turns 45 years in 2011 and the last couple of years he has become a mascot goat as well. By buying the mascot goat, you contribute to the protection of the Gavle Goat. The mascot goat costs 230 SEK and 25 SEK goes directly to protective actions for the Gävle Goat. To buy the mascot goat, contact the Tourist Information Office:  +46 (0)26-17 71 17 or mail to turist@gavle.se.

The inauguration
The inauguration of the Gavle Goat is always held Advent Sunday at Castle Square in Gävle. The inauguration is a popular event with lots of different performances and fireworks and it attracts thousands of visitors every year. The Gavle Goat then stands at Castle Square from Advent Sunday and, hopefully, until sometime after New Year’s Eve if he is not burned down earlier.

Web cams
Every year you can follow the Gavle Goat through web cams at www.merjuligavle.se. Usually the web cams open a couple of days before the inauguration is held and you can watch them during the whole time of the Gavle Goats stay in Gävle. In 2010 around 437 385 visitors from over 100 different countries visited the web cams.

Twitter and blog
The Gavle Goat likes to communicate and he is a big fan of social media. During his stay in Gävle each year, he writes in his blog and tweets. You can also mail to him: gavlegoat@merjuligavle.se.

The committee
The Gavle Goat is built and protected by a special committee. If you have questions concerning the Gavle Goat you can contact its´ spokesman and chairman, Eje Berglund eje@eje.se


Short facts
Total weight: 3,6 tonnes
Height (horns): 13 metres
Withers height: 7,6 metres
Length: 7 metres
Red ribbons: 79,5 metres
Legs: 2 metres (diameter)
Lamps in the horns: 32, 16 in each horn

The straw is delivered by Mackmyra Swedish Whisky.