The giant straw goat figures associated with Swedish New Year's celebrations are called Yule goats.
The best-known example is the Gävle Goat, a huge straw sculpture erected annually in the Swedish city of Gävle during the Advent and Christmas season. It was first built in 1966, and the tradition has continued with changing designs and construction details. The goat usually stands in Castle Square and becomes a seasonal landmark through New Year's celebrations.
The Yule goat, or julbock, is a Scandinavian Christmas symbol with older folklore connections. In modern Sweden it can appear as a small household ornament, while the Gävle version is famous for its enormous size and for repeated attempts by vandals to destroy it. Officials protect it, but the sculpture's fate has varied from year to year.
The goat is a Christmas-season symbol rather than a specifically New Year's Eve object. Its presence during the holiday period explains its association with the celebrations that continue through the end of December.