Most vandalised Christmas symbol

The world’s most vandalised yuletide symbol could very well be the Gavle goat of Sweden, so called because it’s located in the town square of Gavle, north of capital Stockholm.

The 13-meter (43-feet) high goat made of straw is the traditional Scandinavian symbol of Christmas.

It is burned down almost every year, sometimes a mere few hours after being put up.

It was first built in 1966 and has been destroyed by flames 24 times since. At this rate the organisers would probably be forced to source for building materials during Black Friday to save costs.

Other than fire, it has, over the years, been run over by a car, have had its legs taken off and been smashed.

In all those years, only 10 has been incident-free.

In the latest episode, it was burned to the ground a few days before Christmas 2009.

List of major events:
1966: 1st goat burned down – hence setting the tone
1970: Burned down 6 hours after put up
1971: Smashed to smithereens
1976: Destroyed by a car crashing into it
1979: Burned down even before completion
1987: Burned down even after being fire-proofed
2001: Burned by a 51-year-old tourist from USA
2005: Burned by 2 guys, one of them dressed as Santa Claus.

Source
The BBC, 23 Dec 2009

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