Hello and welcome to Oktoberfest- a 2 week long celebration of beer that comes to a close on the first Sunday in October. This year it is taking place from September 16 until October 3rd in Munich, as always, but you can also find celebrations across the world. Once the mayor of Munich comes in to tap the first keg, the festivities are on! But, how did this fest even start?
Well, the first Oktoberfest was held on October 12, 1810 in celebration of the marriage of the Crown Prince of Bavaria to Princess Therese Von Saxony-Hildburghausen (try saying that 5 times fast) in which that last day concluded with a horse race. The next year it was combined with an agricultural fair and in 1818 it progressed again with the addition of booths serving food and drinks. Once the late 20th century rolled around, those food and beverage booths transformed into large beer halls that housed interior balconies and bandstands. Nowadays those beer halls can house upwards of 6,000 people, which is good considering around 6 million people attend the fest annually and consume about 2 million gallons of beer! This kind of attendance has won Oktoberfest the title of largest folk festival in the world. Nice work Munich!
The beer halls are erected by each of the Munich breweries, who are also represented in parades. These parades feature beer wagons, floats, and people in folk costumes. In addition to this display there are games, amusement rides, live music, and of course dancing to keep you entertained. At Oktoberfest you'll find that many of the attendees are dressed in traditional German attire known as Lederhosen, originally for the fieldworkers, and Dirndl, originally for housemaids. While these clothes are no longer commonly worn (if at all), during Oktoberfest they show pride for the wearer's Bavarian heritage. Are these outfits required to join in on the fun? Of course not! But you might feel a bit out of place without it...although that's nothing a couple beers can't fix anyway.
So head on over to Munich, enjoy one of the Oktoberfest celebrations happening near you, or just enjoy some beers and bratwurst with your friends at home. However you celebrate, just have fun, be safe, and don't forget to use the word "Prost" when clinking your glasses together as it means "cheers" in German!
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