The Boozing festival of Germany, where the beer flows like river and people come in millions to drink the nectar of breweries. The famous event which attracts millions of people has become the world’s largest fair which takes place annually, as five to six million people attend this festival. The most important part of Bavarian Culture, a sixteen day festival held in Munich, in Germany. It runs from late September to early October.
The first ever Oktoberfest was in 1810 to celebrate royal wedding, the occasion was marriage of the Bavarian Prince with Princess Saxony. The wedding had highlighting feature of horse races with scrumptious dinners and beers. The feast lasted for five days. The culinary delights and beer, gained more popularity then wedding ceremony and horse races and this started the Oktoberfest for people to get together to drink night and day. The Munich beer festival is an annual event, only major calamities or wars or some outbreak of epidemic can hamper the sprits of boozers from gathering. Though the festival is known as Oktoberfest, the festival takes place in September actually, as the Bavarian Autumn is not predictable and there may be early cold and snow. The Munich Oktoberfest is generally of sixteen according to the traditions which includes the first Sunday in October. After the reunification of Germany, the schedule got modified to include October 3 the German Unity day, so festival can have up to seventeen to eighteen days.
The festival is held in Munich on an area named The Thereienwiese which means meadow of Therese; it is normally an open field or meadow, called as d’Wiesn for short. It is large open-air site.
The Oktoberfest is Largest Volkfest (People’s Fair) in the World. Six and half million visitors in some forty two hectare Wiesn. The seventy two percentage of people are from Bavaria culture and rest are the people coming not only from European counties but also from rest of the continents like America, Japan, Brazil, Australia, and many other countries. The festival is huge success and the name and the spirit of this festival has been exported to different other countries.
The Festival starts with ceremonial opening at noon. A parade is organized in which mayor comes in a coach which is decked in festive decoration followed by adorned horse- drawn brewer’s cart. The brass bands blaring the music with guest and staff and all the band people in traditional costumes of Lederhosen and Dirndls for the festive occasion. As the parade comes to end, the mayor taps the keg of beer and shouts “o’zapft is!” (The keg is tapped) or the first barrel of beer is opened successfully.
Bavarian Beer is drinked in extra extra large cups called Mass which means measure in German. Dozens of huge tents are hosted in open, all beer enthusiastic are all boozing inside it. The prestigious “Trachten- und Schützenzug” takes place. Just imagine thousands and thousands of Dirndls and Lederhosen being carried by of German’s and foreigners including all men, women and children. Accompanied by traditional brass bands, and at their head of apparently endless stream will be the “Münchner Kindl”, “Munich’s child” who shall be riding a horse and wearing a large coat like Saint Martin did. Normally it is the young daughter of one of Oktoberfest innkeepers.
On the last day the October the third “Tag der deutschen Einheit” a German holiday for reunification of Germany people raise toast to the beer to each other in celebration of the so important day of their history.
It’s better to make reservation of tables as the tents are generally full and you may have no space and it might disappoint you. After deadlines or when the crowd is too much in tent, the tents are closed down and entry is restricted. There is a diagnostics instrument on the gate which predicts the expected number of people. So it will be better to make enquiry and plan accordingly the day of your visit. The children are supposed to live the tent after eight , as the tent get much crowded and also rowdy after drinking. Also dress warmly as it might get chilly and cold there in the night.
For food and drinks you need to pay with Biermarke- a plastic currency that is only used here to buy the products and it can bought from tents. Sometimes there is announcement of discounts and rebates, but it is only in weekdays and not on weekends. Just keep a watch or sign’s ob the booths or tents.
Tents have German music that is German Volksmusik, a folk music of Germany. It’s just not the brass music or folk music being played; in house music with popular chart numbers is also played. ‘Its raining men’ by Weather girls is said to be all time favorite with Oktoberfest crowd.
The beer is not only attraction the festival has in store amusements like roller coaster and Olympia Loopings is amusement ride which is famous because of its enormity and speed. The circus appearances are there for the kids and some festival parades is continuously going on, to boost the festival. Also people can enjoy live brass music, can sit relax and listen or can go wild dancing.
The major attraction of Oktoberfest is the regional food. People are ravenous and gorge on:
- Hendl –chicken (yummy)
- Schweinsbraten- Roast Pork (awesome)
- Haxn- knuckle of pork (exotic)
- Steckerlfisch-grilled fish on a stick (mouth watering)
- Wurstl- sausages along with Brezn(pretzel) and Knodeln(potato or bread dumplings) (am getting horribly hungry!)
- Kaasspotzn cheese noodles
- Reiberdatschi- potato pancakes
- Sauerkraut or Rotkraut- red cabbage
- Obtazda – a fatty spiced cheese- butter concoction
- Weisswurst- white sausage
This is just the small list. Its heaven for all the gullible and all the food lovers.
It takes capacity, strong liver and solid stomach and good nerves to celebrate all through the festival of sixteen days of excessive drinking and intensive partying.
Every year in the Oktoberfest the local breweries brew darker and stronger beer’s the city gets drown in river of beer.
The dates of the Munich Oktoberfest in the years to come are already set:
| 2024 | 21 Sep – 6 Oct | 16 days |