Most of the Santa Claus parades are done with the final one (in our area) being next Saturday in NOTL along with the Garrison Christmas at Fort George. As well It's December, NOTL Candle Light stroll was yesterday,NORAD tracks Santa has launched for the season, the NPC festival of lights is in full swing AND . . . . . . Gavle Bokken is LIVE!
Unfortunately I can't figure out how to include a live feed with the tools on blogger, but there's a link so you can watch for yourself.
The whole big story is on the site but the short version is the town of Gavle makes a giant goat for the Christmas season to attract tourists. Apparently Christmas goats are enough of a thing in Sweden that people will travel to see a giant one. As the Gavle Goat has been going on for fair while there are traditions that have grown up around the event, most notably the 'tradition' of people trying (& sometimes succeeding) in burning it down. This is a problem for the town, as no one will come to see where there used to be a giant goat. So there are precautions on one side and attacks on the other.
Some years are pretty quiet and the Gavle Bocken survives to be packed away til the next Christmas Shopping season. Other years, well there not as smooth.. There are lots of youtube videos of Burning goats & somewhere there's a chart of when it survived and when it didn't & I think there are probably book makers that are giving odds on the chances of survival this year.
For the last few years I've checked the feed at least once a day in December, usually when I need a break from what I'm supposed to be doing. Last year when I checked in on the live feed and the Gavle Bocken was gone after only a day I wasn't sure what to think. Part of me was disappointment I wouldn't have that diversion for December. Another part of me was little happy that there's still a bit of high spirited chaos out there... and I do like fire, so my next stop was Youtube.
We have already surpassed last year, it's been more than a day and at last check Gavle Bocken is still standing.
Go and waste some time looking at a goat, you might get hooked.
No comments:
Post a Comment