Christmas traditionz

As I get older, it seems that Christmas (and holidays in general) is getting stranger and stranger to me. While I may be having a harder time with understanding the concept of how buying stuff for people who probably don't need anything relates to Christmas, there are still a bunch of traditions that I can appreciate. The traditions that I can appreciate and the ones that I think Jesus would rep include getting together with family, buying toys for kids, drinking Egg Nog, following the Hot Stove blog on mlb.com and falling down on the ice. While these traditions are all good and fun, I now would like to share with you my favourite Christmas tradition! My new favourite Christmas tradition is the annual burning of the Swedish Christmas straw goat!

As reported by BBC.com, the Swedish town of Gavle has constructed a 43 foot high straw goat every Christmas season since 1966. After the goat is constructed, the fun begins as the good citizens of Gavle do what they can to try and prevent Swedish Grinches from burning the goat down. The grinches have been successful 24 times since 1966, including this year. BBC highlights some of the more interesting assassinations and they are as follows:

1966: The first goat is burned down - beginning the tradition

1970: It is set on fire six hours after being erected (author's note: was it an inside job?!)

1976: A car crashes into the goat

1979: Goat is burned down before it is finished (author's note: well played)

1987: Goat is treated with fire-proofing, but is still burned down

2001: Tourist from Cleveland, Ohio is jailed for burning goat (author's note: Cleveland!)

2005: Two men dressed as Santa and Gingerbread Man torch goat


The Swedish Christmas straw goat captured this year's burning in its blog:

"Terrible night! Slept so well under my beautiful snow blanket, when it suddenly became awfully hot. It was fire!!! At 0300 someone managed to set me on fire and destroy the amazing Christmas spirit in Gavle." (http://merjuligavle.blogspot.com/)

Better luck next year, good citizens of Gavle! I look forward to see how the events unfold in 2010. Perhaps one year my family and I will visit your goat and do what we can to protect it from the evil Swedish grinches and tourists from Cleveland.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8428650.stm