If you visit Finland during the Christmas season, you might spot straw goat figurines.
“What is this goat 🐐?”
That was my first thought when I saw one. When we think of Christmas, we picture Santa Claus and his reindeer. I didn’t know a goat was involved. Where did this goat come from?
And there is one more thing.
The word Joulupukki—the Finnish term for Santa Claus—literally translates to “Christmas Goat.” Doesn’t that sound like a fascinating mystery to explore? It certainly smells of ancient customs that predate Christian influence.
The Goat I Met at the Supermarket: The Julbock
When I visited the massive PRISMA supermarket in Oulu, Finland, in November, I noticed an unfamiliar straw goat figurine among the Christmas decorations. As a fan of folk customs, I was intrigued and took a picture.
After doing some research, it appears this goat tradition originated in Sweden. The book Nordic Sweden: Charming Folk Art in Everyday Life explains:
藁は農民にとって一番身近な素材のひとつ。最後に収穫した農作物には豊作の精がいると思われていたため、クリスマスの間にその年収穫した麦の藁を床に広げて乾かし、果物の木の枝に巻いて翌年の豊穣を願ったそう。ユールボックと呼ばれるヤギなどを作って飾ります。
“Straw was one of the most accessible materials for farmers. It was believed that the spirit of a good harvest resided in the last crop harvested. So, during Christmas, they would spread the straw on the floor to dry and wrap it around the branches of fruit trees, wishing for a good harvest the following year. They would also create and display goats, known as the Julbock.”
—Nordic Sweden: Charming Folk Art in Everyday Life by Naoko & Noritake Akechi
The idea of a spirit presiding over a good harvest is quite reminiscent of light novels like Spice and Wolf.
The straw goat is called Julbock in Swedish, and the text suggests it is an entity responsible for a good harvest. It is easy to assume that this is the origin of the Finnish word Joulupukki (the straw goat is called Olkipukki in modern Finnish).
Let’s set the goat aside for a moment and look at Finland’s Santa Claus, Joulupukki.
Joulupukki: Finland’s Santa Claus Today
The Meaning of Joulupukki
The word Joulupukki in Finnish is a combination of:
Joulu: Christmas ＋ pukki: male goat
＝Joulupukki: Christmas Goat
The sound of Joulupukki clearly does not evolve from Santa Claus (derived from Sinterklaas = Saint Nicholas), making it evident that the term itself is not of Christian origin1; the concept of Santa Claus arrived much later.
The Modern Joulupukki
Today’s Joulupukki looks exactly like the Santa Claus you imagine: dressed in red, restraining his ample body with a belt, wearing black boots, and riding a reindeer sleigh.
This image is a result of fusion with American culture. The custom of entering through the chimney is also American-derived, although the original Finnish custom involved Santa knocking on the door and visiting homes.
So, why did the goat spirit, a dispenser of good harvests, become associated with the American image of Santa Claus?
The Pagan Festival Jul and the Male Goat Bock
The Ancient Pagan Festival Jul
In pre-Christian Europe, the Sun was the most widely worshipped deity. The Sun was essential for crop growth and survival.
There is one day when the power of the Sun is at its weakest: the Winter Solstice.
This darkest day of winter, when plant life withered, was also the day when the realm of the dead gained the most power. Yet, it was simultaneously the first day when the world of life began to return, a day of resurrection. Therefore, the Winter Solstice was the most crucial ritual day of the year.
This was the Jul (Finnish: Joulu) festival in the Nordic region.
Christianity had to incorporate the Winter Solstice festival for its spread. After the Council of Nicaea, the birth of Christ (Christmas) was established on December 25th, around the 4th century, overriding the original pagan elements.
It is believed that the male goat, Bock (or Pukki), was a symbol of resurrection within the Jul festival.
The Origin of the Male Goat Julbock
The origin of the male goat known as the Julbock (Joulupukki) is often traced back to the Norse God Thor and his two goats, Tanngrisnir (Teeth-grinder) and Tanngnjóstr (Teeth-barer).
“These two goats pulled Thor’s chariot and provided food every evening by being slaughtered only to rise again the following morning. One ancient Swedish practice related to all this is the Juleoffer, or Yule sacrifice, in which a person dressed in goatskins and carrying an effigy of a goat would be symbolically slaughtered and then returned to life in the morning.” —The Pagan Origins Of The Yule Goat (Patheos.com)
Thus, the male goat was a symbol of the resurrection of life at the Winter Solstice, which likely evolved into the entity responsible for a good harvest.
The Role of the Goat
Under the influence of Christianity, the goat was targeted for exclusion as a pagan symbol. However, while its pagan elements were stripped away, it survived by changing form.
“En jul, när mor var liten, hörde hon hur någon en kväll stod där ute och stampa’ och gav dörrn en smäll. In där kler en julebock, skäggig och med luden rock, han tog ur sin påse små paketer opp.”
“One Christmas, when Mother was little, she heard someone outside in the evening stamping their feet and banging the door. In stepped a Julbock (Yule Goat), bearded and with a hairy coat, who took little packages out of his bag.”
A figure emerged, riding a goat (in the image of Thor) and giving gifts to people. This figure further changed, merging the person and the goat, becoming the terrifying goat itself, which gave gifts. The Julbock evolved into a dualistic being, wearing goat skins and horns, giving presents to good children while punishing the bad.
This role is similar to the Japanese Namahage or the Germanic Saint Nicholas and Krampus.
This tradition then spread to Finland and Estonia.
4. The Original Joulupukki in Finland
In Finland, this tradition is believed to have been absorbed by two historical events: the harvest festival Kekri and Nuutinpäivä (St. Knut’s Day).
Kekripukki (The Kekri Goat)
Kekri was an ancient Finnish harvest festival held from late October to early November (around the time of Halloween). A figure called the Kekripukki was part of this festival. Though its exact origin is unclear, the custom is thought to be influenced by the Swedish Julbock.
Young people, disguised as the terrifying, grotesque Kekripukki—wearing horns and inverted fur coats—went from house to house demanding alcohol and food, threatening to “smash the fireplace” if refused.
Kekri marked the beginning of the winter ritual season (Christmas).
Nuuttipukki (The Knut’s Day Goat)
A similar tradition occurred on January 13th, Nuutinpäivä (St. Knut’s Day).
Men dressed as the terrifying Nuuttipukki—wearing horns and inverted fur coats—circulated through the houses, demanding alcohol and food in exchange for not taking away the household’s good luck.
January 13th is historically the coldest day of the year. It was originally the day the “bear was reborn,” marking the end of the winter rituals (contrasting with July 13th, when the bear was thought to be born). The bear, the guardian spirit of the hunting culture, was thought to have been replaced by the goat with the rise of agricultural culture. (Incidentally, Finns still take down their Christmas trees on this day).
Thus, in ancient Finland, a terrifying goat figure (pukki) appeared at the beginning and end of the winter rituals. This is the prototype of the modern Santa Claus.
Integration into Nuuttipukki
With the expansion of Christian power, the pagan elements of Kekripukki and Nuuttipukki were suppressed. Since Kekri was viewed as a pagan festival, it was disassembled: Kekripukki was absorbed into Nuuttipukki, and other elements of Kekri were absorbed into Joulu (Christmas).
5. Estonia’s Näärisokk (New Year’s Goat)
Estonia’s Näärisokk (nääri: New Year’s + sokk: goat) is a figure very similar to Finland’s Kekripukki and Nuuttipukki.
Here too, costumes included inverted fur coats and goat-head masks. They visited houses, exchanged New Year’s greetings, and received beer and gifts, sometimes playfully ramming the head of the house.
This tradition survives in some parts of Estonia, such as the island of Saaremaa in Western Estonia, where it is called Sokujooksmine (Goat Running) and has been designated as a national cultural heritage.
6. The Evolution: From Terrifying Goat to Gentle Santa
The Catalyst for Change
In the 19th century, the American image of Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus was introduced to Finland, likely alongside the rapid economic development and glamorous imagery of the U.S.
The terrifying goat spirit was gradually replaced by the image of a gentle Santa Claus.
A key moment occurred in a 1927 Yle radio broadcast, where a man named Markus said:
“Santa Claus lives deep in Lapland, on Korvatunturi, with his elves and reindeer.” —From The Great Journey of Santa Claus
Korva means “ear” and tunturi means “fell” (or hill) in Finnish, suggesting the large ears can hear children’s wishes all over the world.
By coincidence, the American Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas), who was portrayed as belonging to no particular country, was thought to live at the North Pole—a symbol of the imaginative world for contemporary Americans—and ride a reindeer sleigh.
This was combined with the image of the current Santa Claus drawn by Finnish-American Haddon Sundblom for Coca-Cola advertisements.
Thus, the goat who used to wander from house to house was replaced by an old man in a red suit, leaving only the name. Joulupukki is now a gentle global Santa Claus who delivers presents.
Summary
- The goat was a symbol of the pre-Christian winter solstice festival.
- The straw goat displayed today in Nordic countries is a remnant of the pagan era.
- Finland’s Santa Claus originated as the goat.
- The name Joulupukki (Christmas Goat) is a trace of Santa’s goat phase.
This topic, which I started on a whim, turned out to be more interesting than expected! (Self-praise ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ)
When you meet Santa in Finland or encounter a goat ornament, I hope recalling this long history will give you a different kind of enjoyment.
Hyvää joulua!! (Merry Christmas!)
Column: Joulupukki Folk Song
Here is one of the few Finnish Christmas folk songs:
- The Pukki knocks on the door. May he come inside? Pukki, you are welcome, Dance in a circle with us!
- The Pukki now rushes in, He only throws presents to the children. And everyone rejoices, The children’s eyes begin to shine.
- The Pukki sets off again on his journey. Children in other places are waiting. He must tour the whole country, Wearing long peninkulma boots*
*Peninkulma boots: Boots that can cover 10 kilometers in one step.
This song tells us that Santa used to knock on doors, not enter through the chimney, which is another remnant of the goat phase.
（Cf. “PUKKI OVELLA KOLKUTTAA”）
参考文献・サイト
- 『サンタクロースの大旅行』葛野浩昭著 1998 岩波新書
- 『北欧スウェーデン 暮らしの中のかわいい民芸』明知直子・明知憲威著 2014 パイ インターナショナル
- yle.fi（https://yle.fi/a/3-12236370）2025.10.29アクセス
- “The Pagan Origins Of The Yule Goat” （Patheos.com）2025.10.29アクセス
- “WHO CARES ABOUT HALLOWEEN? WE HAVE KEKRI! 5 FACTS ABOUT THE FINNISH HARVEST CELEBRATION WHEN EVEN GHOSTS GO TO SAUNA”（finlandnaturally.com）2025.10.29アクセス
- “Millal asendus jõulusokk jõuluvanaga?”（ERR.ee）2025.10.29アクセス
- “Sokujooksmine Saaremaal Haeska, Metsküla ja Randvere külas”（EESTI LAHAVAKULTUURI KESKUS）2025.10.29アクセス
- Frank, R. M., & Ridderstad, M. P. (2013, May). Conflicts over masks, museums and tourism: Comparing European and Native American traditions and solutions. In 34h Annual American Indian Workshop: Art of Indians–Indians of Art.
脚注
- The word “Santa Claus”
The word “Santa Claus” originated when the Dutch name Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) was pronounced in an Americanized way, eventually leading to the familiar term “Santa Claus.” ↩︎
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