Emerjas

Task 4: Guess (scout’s honor, NO GOOGLING!): Did the Gävle Goat survive this year? For background: The Gävle Goat is a straw effigy erected in Gävle, Sweden, every year at the beginning of Advent. It is infamous for being burned down ahead of time, which as of Advent 2017 has happened in 37 of the 51 years of the tradition’s existence. – The Yule goat lore in turn goes back all the way to the Norse myths, where the god Thor rode a chariot drawn by two goats, and to ancient Indo-European and proto-Slavic beliefs according to which the harvest god appeared in the shape of a goat. Possibly, it is also linked with Santa Claus and his reindeer-driven sled.

Because I always find it hilarious when it does get destroyed (despite all the efforts to protect it!), I'm going to guess that it is successfully destroyed this year. I remember getting introduced to the story of this years ago and laughing throughout the entire history of the destroyed goats and attempts and destroying the goats. It's quite amazing.