If you’ve lived in Georgia for any substantial period of time, chances are high that you’ve driven out of Atlanta and straight into the endless farmland that makes up the rest of the state.
On one such excursion of mine, travelling to see my grandmother, I was struck by something I saw on the front porch of a small, dilapidated house. Like most in that part of the state, the house had broken shutters, rusted wrought iron columns out front, and a dirt driveway.
But there, standing proudly in the middle of the crude concrete pad which barely passed for a front stoop, stood a ceramic goose.
Run it back. A ceramic goose, among the rolling hills of pecan tree orchards and cow pastures? A fresh one, too, straight out of the home and garden section of the local Walmart, which would have only been a casual 50 miles away.
The crumbling brick foundation seemed to set a perfect scene for the goose, making it look even more shiny and white, its bright orange beak sticking up smugly in the Georgia sun.
Perched atop his head, not a speck of dust or a hint of dampness, sat a brown felt pilgrim hat. For a moment, I thought it might have been a dead leaf or a spot of dirt, but no. A pilgrim hat, and perfectly timed.
Now remember, rural Georgia loves its traditional Thanksgiving imagery. They are some of the only people who can imagine themselves as Plymouth settlers while simultaneously serving Twinkies for dessert.
Oddly enough, this is not the only time I have seen one such goose. While I have spotted them in a few other rural Georgia yards, they have also made appearances at the Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Michael’s. People on Reddit search for a specific model of what is essentially the same statue, sending each other to countless Etsy and eBay pages.
While searching for sewing patterns in preparation for Lakeside’s spring musical, I came across a strange sight. Not only do people continuously bring their geese inside when it rains, but they also hose them off once a week, and they make costumes for them. More specifically, holiday costumes.
Any festivity that you could possibly think of is accompanied by a variety of dress options. 4th of July? Your goose could be Uncle Sam. Veteran’s Day? Your goose can wear a replica military uniform. Saint Patrick’s Day? Your goose can be a leprechaun.
If you are a more avid participant in goose culture, you might have two. If so, there’s always the option of dressing them up as Mr. and Mrs. Claus come December.
And don’t worry! If you’re not religious (or particularly American), there are still a plethora of Halloween costumes to choose from.
But on a more serious note, who really decided to start doing this?
Dressing up ceramic geese is actually a somewhat modern tradition, originating in the Midwest in the 1980’s. Since their start in the Ohio River Valley, these concrete statues have flocked to states in the Deep South and along the East Coast.
While the popularity of this tradition in urban areas has dwindled, homeowners in the rural Midwest still faithfully station their geese on their porches, sometimes accompanied by a small flock of goslings.
(Plus, if you’re struggling to Christmas shop, now you know what to get for your grandma!)
