anthonybaxter

The US right gets into an annual tizzy about the War On Christmas, complaing about anyone who dares say "Happy Holidays" rather than "Happy Christmas".

In Sweden, they really know how to hold a war on christmas. Hilzoy gives some of the backstory of the near-annual burning/arson attacks on the Gävle Christmas Goat. Don't miss the Wikipedia article she links - it features a complete timeline of the attacks, as well as statistics. Out of the 66 goats built in total so far, 27 have been torched, 6 vandalised and 1 run over. It also features this:

2001 Goat set on fire on 23 December by Lawrence Jones, a 51-year-old visitor from Cleveland, Ohio, who spent 18 days in jail and was subsequently convicted and ordered to pay 100,000 Swedish kronor in damages. The court also confiscated Jones's cigarette lighter with the argument that he clearly was not able to handle it. Jones stated in court that he is no "goat burner", and believed that he was taking part in a completely legal goat-burning tradition.

A "completely legal goat-burning tradition". A finer phrase the English language has yet to produce.