Swedish town vows to protect giant Christmas goat

Image source, PER-ERIK JADERBERG/AFP/Getty Images

Image caption, This has become a familiar sight for the town's residents each Christmas
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A Swedish town famous for its Christmas tradition of erecting a giant straw goat has said extra efforts will be made to protect the attraction from arsonists this year.

Yule goats are a Scandinavian tradition, and a huge version has appeared in the town of Gavle every year since 1966. But despite pulling in the crowds, the goat has regularly met a fiery fate. It has been destroyed on 34 occasions, including last year when it survived Christmas, only to be on 27 December.

Now, councillors are determined that the goat's 50th anniversary remains flame-free. The town is upping this year's Christmas celebration budget by 850,000 krona ($99,000; 拢76,000), and some of that cash will go on extra security, the reports. "There will be more guards - we have said that we should try to have a 'goat guarantee' on the first weekend," says councillor Helene Akerlind.

As points out, the straw goat has become quite a celebrity, even having its own with nearly 9,000 followers.

Despite the councillors' security plans, public broadcaster suggests some Swedes don't hold out much hope. Half of those responding think it's going to burn anyway, compared to 31% who are confident it'll survive - the rest either don't know, or don't care.

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