Oh YES! I do know all about it...... poor tourist..... how could he
know... but then again how stupid can a man get?!
Well, it's not really a x-mas tradition but it is a tradition of the
common so to speak. The Town Council always sets up a lot of x-mas
ornaments all over our towns and in the town of Gävle, 150 km north of
Stockholm, they have for ages put up a huge goat (in old times believed
to be the one who come with the x-mas presents - before we imported
Santa Claus) of dried weed. Many many years ago someone did put fire to
it and then the "tradition" started.... how long would the goat last
this year..... and ever since, the goat burns down before the 24th (the
day when we celebrate x-mas). For the last couple of years the goat has
been under surveillance by web cameras 24h around but, as you have seen
it has had no effect what so ever....... I guess that those who pulled
the leg of that poor American will keep on laughing until next year. And
so will the rest of us.
Regards
Lena