IKEA raises Christmas goat, a decade after last arson attack

IKEA’s Christmas goat has been raised outside the company’s store in Kauptún, Garðabær, with mbl.is reporting that it is a decade since the goat was last set on fire.

The goat was erected on Thursday, as IKEA’s Christmas season officially began. Marketing manager Guðný Camilla Aradóttir said she hoped it would remain undisturbed. In the past, it has suffered damage from both vandals and bad weather.

The goat stands 10 metres tall and weighs between seven and eight tonnes, so a crane is needed to put it in place. Customers often ask about it before it is raised, and staff also look forward to its arrival.

Lighting the goat has become an annual tradition for IKEA staff, who gather for hot chocolate and something sweet when the lights are switched on.