+
upworthy
Most Shared

This is the Christmas album sung by goats you never knew you needed.

We all know goats are musically gifted.

You may remember that viral video that really showed the goat's dedication to its craft with its take on Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble." (And if you don't remember, please ... take a moment.)


GIF via TwoMagiicGamers/YouTube.

Breathtaking.

How could it get any better than this?

The Swedish branch of ActionAid has produced an album of popular Christmas songs — sung entirely by goats.

That's right, timeless classics from "White Christmas" to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" are now available in goat form. The album is titled "All I Want for Christmas Is a Goat" and features eight tracks of festive bleating.

ActionAid hopes the hilarious album will bring more awareness to the organization and its work fighting poverty around the world.

This goat-y Christmas is actually related to Scandinavian tradition.

In the trailer for the album, a soothing Swedish voiceover begins by describing a lovely moment by the fire with "the Christmas goat." They're not just talking about the album here — it's a reference to a Yuletide tradition in Scandinavia and Northern Europe: the Yule goat.

Image via Trlkly/Wikimedia Commons.

The Yule goat is a tradition that's changed and morphed over time, but is generally thought to stem from Yuletide worship of the Norse god Thor and the two goats that pull his chariot through the sky. All kinds of traditions have stemmed from the Yule goat, including costumed wassailing, mischievous pranks, and decorative goat figures made out of bundled straw.

In the Swedish town of Gävle, a 13-meter-tall straw goat has been built in the town square every year since 1966.

Image by Tony Nordin/Wikimedia Commons.

The very first Gävle goat was mysteriously set on fire at midnight on New Year's Eve. Anonymous hooligans have burnt the giant goat roughly half of the years since.

So far this year's Gävle goat appears to be alive and well. Hang in there, buddy!

OK, but how do goats actually help fight poverty, again?

Farm animals like goats are incredibly useful to many people living in poverty. They can:

  • Produce food to eat like milk and meat
  • Provide milk to sell, adding income for other needs like medicine and school supplies
  • Improve the social status of women who own livestock
  • Act as loans or savings
  • Help fertilize crops with manure
  • Be used as a gift to create or strengthen social ties

Heifer International uses our friend the goat to give a specific example:

"In Nepal...the demand for goat meat significantly exceeds the country’s current production capacity [even] when it is supplemented by exports... So the key is to help Nepali farmers produce more and better goat meat, boosting supply and the market chain. [This] will help these farmers help their countrymen and women by...building their own economies as well as the country’s economy."

So, not only are goats a Scandinavian holiday icon, they're also mascots for an awesome approach to alleviating poverty. Kudos to you, goats.

Happy holidays, from the Yule goat to you and yours.

"All I Want for Christmas Is a Goat"is available on iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.

All proceeds will go to ActionAid. Pretty worthwhile, if you ask me.

And for good measure, here's a great take on "Holy Night." Really take in those first few notes and enjoy:

Angelina Jordan blew everyone away with her version of 'Bohemian Rhapsody."


At Upworthy, we've shared a lot of memorable "America's Got Talent" auditions, from physics-defying dance performances to jaw-dropping magic acts to heart-wrenching singer-songwriter stories. Now we're adding Angelina Jordan's "AGT: The Champions" audition to the list because wow.

Jordan came to "AGT: The Champions" in 2020 as the winner of Norway's Got Talent, which she won in 2014 at the mere age of 7 with her impressive ability to seemingly channel Billie Holiday. For the 2020 audition, she sang Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," but a version that no one had ever heard before.

With just her Amy Winehouse-ish voice, a guitar and a piano, Jordan brought the fan-favorite Queen anthem down to a smooth, melancholy ballad that's simply riveting to listen to.

Keep ReadingShow less

After Elmo's 'trauma dump' check-in, 'Sesame Street' goes all-in on mental health

Their first PSA offers a simple strategy for managing big feelings.

The Sesame Street gang is here for kids' mental well-being.

Remember when Elmo broke everyone simply by asking how people were doing on X? The viral check-in prompted a flood of responses in which people poured their hearts out onto the beloved Sesame Street character, and the wave of woes was so great all the other Sesame Street friends chimed in with their own words of support.

There's a reason Elmo's check-in hit people so hard. There's something viscerally comforting in the familiar faces and voices of our favorite childhood characters. Over 50-plus years creating high-quality shows for kids, Sesame Workshop has gained and retained people's trust and confidence, so engaging with Sesame Street characters feels safe and cathartic.

The folks behind Sesame Street have always incorporated kids' feelings and emotions into it educational programming, but a new initiative is taking a direct approach to mental health awareness. Teaming up with Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Sesame Workshop and the Ad Council have launched the "Love, Your Mind" campaign with a kid-friendly PSA.

Keep ReadingShow less
Courtesy of Kisha Rose Woodhouse

Man surprises partner by performing haka alone at her graduation


Graduations can be emotional no matter if it's preschool, high school or college. Something about watching a loved one close one chapter to open a new one just does something to you. But sometimes people have a few more challenges getting across the stage that make it feel even sweeter.

One new mom, Kisha Rose Woodhouse, who goes by @kiisha.rose on TikTok, became pregnant and gave birth while finishing up her college degree. Clearly, determined to finish, Woodhouse walked across the stage at graduation with her baby on her hip. But that wasn't what got people all choked up while seeing her video, it was Woodhouse's partner who stood alone in the auditorium.

The man was visibly filled with pride from Woodhouse's accomplishments when he began doing the Tautoko, also known as the haka. Immediately the auditorium fell silent as the man's words and sharp movements filled the air. Seeing him perform such an emotional dance alone to honor his partner is enough to get just about anyone's eyes to water.

Keep ReadingShow less

Can we bring back some 50s fridge features, please?

There are very few things that would make people nostalgic for the 1950s. Sure, they had cool cars and pearl necklaces were a staple, but that time frame had its fair share of problems, even if "Grease" made it look dreamy. Whether you believe your life would've been way more interesting if you were Danny Zuko or not, most would agree their technology was...lacking.

All eras are "advanced" for their time, but imagine being dropped off in the 50s as someone from the year 2023. A recent post by Historic Vids on Twitter of a 1956 commercial advertising a refrigerator, however, has some people thinking that when it came to fridges, maybe they were living in the year 2056. I don't typically swoon over appliances, yet this one has me wondering where I can purchase a refrigerator like this.

Of course, there's no fancy touch screen that tells you the weather and asks how you'd like your ice cubed. It's got more important features that are actually practical.

Keep ReadingShow less
via Pixabay

A middle-aged woman holding a baby.

A story that recently went viral on Reddit’s AITA forum asks an important question: What is a parent’s role in taking care of their grandchildren? The story is even further complicated because the woman at the center of the controversy is a stepparent.

The woman, 38, met her husband Sam, 47, ten years ago, when his daughter, Leah, 25, was 15. Five years ago, the couple got married after Leah had moved out to go to college.

Leah’s mom passed away when she was 10.

Last year, Leah became pregnant, and she wanted to keep the baby, but her boyfriend didn’t. After the disagreement, the boyfriend broke up with her. This forced Leah to move back home because she couldn’t afford to be a single parent and live alone on a teacher’s salary.

Keep ReadingShow less
Health

We asked people what they really enjoy that others can't understand. One answer dominated.

Interestingly, research shows that these people are particularly unlikely to be neurotic.

Canva

Some people really enjoy being alone.

We recently asked our Upworthy audience on Facebook, "What's something that you really enjoy that other people can't seem to understand?" and over 1,700 people weighed in. Some people shared things like housework, cleaning and laundry, which a lot of people see as chores. Others shared different puzzles or forms of art they like doing, and still others shared things like long car rides or grocery shopping.

But one answer dominated the list of responses. It came in various wordings, but by far the most common answer to the question was "silent solitude." Here are a few examples:

"Feeling perfectly content, when I’m all alone."

"Being home. Alone. In silence."

"That I enjoy being alone and my soul is at peace in the silence. I don't need to be around others to feel content, and it takes me days to recharge from being overstimulated after having an eventful day surrounded by others."

"Enjoying your own company. Being alone isn’t isolating oneself. It’s intentional peace and healthy… especially for deep feelers/thinkers."

Keep ReadingShow less