The giant straw figure erected for Christmas and New Year celebrations in Gävle, Sweden, is called the Gävle Goat.
The Gävle Goat, or Gävlebocken in Swedish, is a large traditional Yule goat built in Castle Square in the city of Gävle. The first goat was erected in 1966, and the annual construction became a distinctive local holiday tradition. It is made from straw over a wooden frame and is substantially larger than the small decorative goats found in many Scandinavian homes.
The goat became internationally famous because it has repeatedly been damaged or destroyed by arson and other attacks. Authorities have used surveillance, fencing, and fire-retardant treatments at different times, but the risk itself became part of the tradition's notoriety. Some years the goat survives intact; other years it does not.
The Gävle Goat is linked to the older Scandinavian Yule-goat custom, but it is not the same object as Santa Claus's reindeer. Its season normally spans Advent, Christmas, and New Year's celebrations.