What is a Julbock?

The Julbock or Yule-goat is a symbol of the winter holidays in Sweden.  In pagan times, the god Thor was believed to ride across the sky in a chariot pulled by two goats.  As Christianity became the norm, the Yule-goat pulled the sleigh of the Christmas Elf as he delivers gifts to children’s homes.  It became customary for men of the villages to dress up as the Julbock and play pranks on the unsuspecting.  Today, the Julbock is most often represented by a straw figurine of a goat.