The Yule goat is a tradition common across Scandinavia. Known as a julbock (Sweden), julebukk (Norway), or olkipukki (Finland), today’s Yule goat Christmas decoration is plaited of straw and tied with red ribbons. This straw goat, and the importance of goats around the winter solstice, has several traditions and stories.

Stories and History of the Yule Goat

One story is that it was traditionally burned as a sacrifice for Thor during the Yuletide celebration of the winter solstice. Thor was known to have two goats who pulled his chariot across the sky. They are named Tanngrisnir (“teeth-barer”) and Tanngnjóstr (teeth-grinder). By day they pull his chariot, and sometimes they provided food for Thor and his friends. (Thor frequently slaughtered and ate Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, knowing they’d be returned to life the following morning.

Another explication for the Yule goat is that it was a symbol of strength, perseverance and blessing. Goats are hardy creatures, they can eat a wide variety of things even table scraps and still produce milk. This was important for those surviving in harsh and cold climates, the hardy goat staving off the harsh realities that winter can impose.

A humorous look at the history and traditions of the Yule Goat can be found here

The Gävle Goat adding a bit of Arson to the holidays

The Gävle Goat is another iteration of the Julbock tradition, and this version includes arson.

The giant straw statue of a goat erected every Christmas in the Swedish town of Gävle. It’s essentially a massive Yule Goat, a traditional symbol of the Yuletide season in areas of Scandinavia and Northern Europe, and was first installed in the town in 1966. There is a yearly unofficial competition between the city and vandals who do their best to set the giant goat on fire. Most years, vandals succeed and the over 40 foot goat is burned to the ground. One year the culprit was described as

“less like a hardened criminal and more like a man possessed by the spirit of his pagan ancestors to restart the fires of the world — to bring warmth and light back into the universe — one goat at a time”
from the Verge article ‘The only Christmas tradition I care about is Sweden’s arson goat‘ – by Jason Vincent

Tutorials

Traditional Straw Julbock

When done well these are a beautiful and classic holiday decoration.

However this is a time consuming process that involves soaking your straw for hours and can be difficult for small fingers, or those with mobility issues such as arthritis.