So, there's a whole lot of Scandanavian stuff here I don't quite grok.
There's the Scandanavian habit of, much like Mari Llyd, dressing up and going around to get booze from neighbors (a solid plan!). And that is referred to as Julebukking. Neighbors who have not slammed the door in your spooky face now welcome you in for smorgasbord and a cocktail, I'd guess.
How this happens without already being drunk looking at the picture above, I can't say.
But this may have originally been a tradition where the participants mostly dressed as goats, thus the name. And how did we get there?
I came across "Julebok" while looking for something for my mum, who is of Finnish heritage, for her holiday decor. And, it turns out there's a Scandavian thing to have a goat doll or effigy made of grain husks. The origins are pagan, most likely, and are repurposed goats of Thor - Tanngrisnir ("teeth-barer") and Tanngnjóstr ("teeth-grinder").
Or! More likely - tied to the ancient pagan diety of harvest, Dazbog, who was associated with a white goat. And old winter ceremonies had someone dressed up as a goat demanding gifts. Like a reverse Santa.
Over time and geography, the goat became associated with bringing presents - and in the early 19th Century, before Santa was a thing in the area, yeah... basically they had a goat-beast-man delivering presents.
My theory is that after Dad handed off presents to the kids he was like "I've got on this costume, I'm gonna go show Toivo" and wandered over, half-buzzed, sang at the door, Toivo brought him in for Schnapps and a tradition began.
These days, the goat might be pulling Santa's sleigh, which seems odd in the actual land of reindeer.
Also, the grain doll is a nice, fun ornament to have on one's table or mantle during the holidays.
Or a giant thing you would not want falling over onto you.
The internet does tell me some towns do seem to go full Wicker Man with their goats.
Anyway, the Yule Goat is adorable, and I want one for the coffee table. And to go singing at my neighbor's house whilst dressed as a goat.
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