LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Like an awkward relative who shows up uninvited but on schedule every year, the Satanic Temple’s Yule Goat once again took its place on the southwest corner of the Michigan State Capitol lawn over the Christmas season this year.

Despite online outrage acting as if the goat materialized out of thin air, this isn’t a surprise appearance. The display has become an annual December tradition, installed by The Satanic Temple’s Capital Area Michigan and West Michigan chapters since 2018. Love it or loathe it, the goat is nothing if not consistent.

What does the Satanic Temple stand for?

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The Satanic Temple itself is a non-theistic religious and activist organization that uses satanic imagery symbolically to advocate for individual liberty and social justice. According to the group, its mission is to promote benevolence and empathy among people.

What’s the goat all about?

Rev. Luis Cypher, Minister of Satan & Co-Head of the Satanic Temple-West Michigan told Michigan News Source about the Yule Goat. “The Michigan Yule Goat represents two concepts: It is a celebration of our place in the larger community and a reminder that our idols should always be temporary and evolving. The primary purpose of the Yule Goat holiday display is the representation of our religious community here in Michigan.”

Cypher went on to say, “Every year, we share our Yule Goat with the residents of this state in solidarity and in observance of non-traditional religious practices around the season of Yuletide. Our display is meant to be an expression of the freedom of religion in our democracy and shared with compassion and empathy toward all the residents of the State of Michigan in support of religious pluralism.”

Yes, the goat is allowed to be there.

Michigan permits temporary religious displays on Capitol property so long as groups follow the application process and the state’s rules. That means if a nativity scene or menorah is approved, a symbolic goat gets equal footing. Equal access means equal weirdness when applicable.

This year’s version of the Yule Goat leaned heavily into theatrical flair. The 2025 theme drew inspiration from Wicked, the novel by Gregory Maguire, framing the goat as a symbol of the misunderstood rebel – someone branded “evil” by those in power while acting from moral conviction. Organizers say the theme reflects their belief in questioning authority, embracing dissent, and showing empathy even when unpopular.

In 2014, the first display from the Satanic Temple in Lansing was full of snakes and they called it a “snaketivity.”

Goat stirs up social media.

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Not everyone was amused by this year’s Yule Goat though. A photo of the display shared by independent journalist Brendan Gutenschwager lit up social media, generating everything from outrage to sarcastic jokes about eternal damnation. Some demanded it be removed. Others posted snarky comments.

The remarks ranged from “how is this allowed” to calls to burn it down and humorous posts like from “Stoked Penguin” who said about folks embracing the goat, “I think they’ll be singing a different tune when they begin to spend an eternity with him.”

The Satanic Temple says the controversy is nothing new. In fact, it’s part of the point. The group argues that discomfort often reveals where society draws its lines around religious freedom – and who gets to cross them.

The goat will be gone shortly, packed away until next December. But if history is any indication, the outrage will be back right on time.

Mark your calendars. The goat certainly does.