12 Unique Christmas Traditions Celebrated Around the World

By: Andrea Romano | Pulished on 2023-12-07

The Gävle Goat, Sweden

Some say this tradition goes back to local Swedish legends about Christmas elves riding the Yule Goat door-to-door to deliver presents, similar to Santa Claus. Researchers at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History have also traced it to ancient pagan festivals honoring the Norse god, Thor, whose chariot was pulled by goats. According to Gävle's official tourism website, the town constructed an epic version of the Yule Goat in 1966 to promote local tourism. Constructed of wood, rope, and straw, it's roughly the height of a three-story house. To this day, it goes up on the first Sunday of Advent each year, and despite the presence of stationed guards, cameras, and fences, it usually gets destroyed before Christmas — so often, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported, that locals will bet on whether or not it'll make it through the whole season.

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