Oktoberfest - Bavaria's National Beer Festival, So Good They Start in September!
Here is the strangest thing about one of Germany's best celebrations - and they have some of the Europe's best - the Oktoberfest (translation: October Festival), actually starts in September. Having thought about this for years, mostly through a thick head, I can only conclude that this has come about because it's so good that no-one can wait for October to arrive and therefore everyone starts early!
Oktoberfest originates from the wedding celebrations surrounding the marriage of the Crown Prince, later to become King Lugwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hilburghausen. The marriage took place on October 17, 1810 and was celebrated with horse races and other popular entertainments of the day. These celebrations were soon incorporated with the agricultural show held around the same time and they have grown enormously ever since.
Nowadays there are huge fairgrounds with shooting galleries, fairground stalls and side-shows along with all manner of other amusements and activities. In recognition of its origins, the vast fairgrounds associated with the festival are referred to as 'Theresienwiese' after Princess Therese.
The primarily location for Oktoberfest is Munich where more than 6 million people visit each year. German transport authorities organise special coaches and trains to Munich's 'Wies'n' celebrations, the traditional popular name for the festival. As a result of its global popularity the festival has also been nicknamed as the Festival of Nations.
The Munich Oktoberfest beer festival always starts with a procession of gaily and colourfully decorated brewers carts and drays belonging to the local brewers and publicans who are taking part in the festival. At midday punctually, and you can't imagine anything other than it happening dead on midday, the Mayor of Munich taps the first barrel of the special Wies'n beer to a salvo of cannon fire.
Oktoberfest has its own beer a strong dark beer which is brewed and stored especially for the occasion. Recently it has been estimated that approx 7 million litres of this strong brew are drunk during the celebrations, nearly half a million litres per day of the 17 day festival. Originally this stronger than normal brew, was made as a 'special' from the residues that built up during the preceding year of brewing. Nowadays with 19 million litres being required it is part of the normal brewing cycle.
If you are unable to attend the celebrations yourself and feel that you want to hold your own Oktoberfest celebration here are a few tips. Firstly, the colours of the Munich festival are light blue and white, so streamers, beads etc should all be themed to these colours. Flags should be chequered design of light blue and white. These are readily available from online suppliers should you require them. If you cannot get any Wies'n beer, then lager would be an acceptable substitute.
Oktoberfest foods would be the traditional bratwurst served either with brot (bread) or Kaiser rolls. Bratwurst is always served with German mustard and often sauerkraut and/or potato salad are offered as accompaniments. Within Germany these are not foods restricted to Oktoberfest but are widely enjoyed throughout the year with bratwurst forming the basis of Germany's fast-food industry - although the golden arches are becoming more widespread wherever you go.
Costumes are anything German and there are some fantastic lederhosen costumes for men and German Heidi or Bier Maid costumes for ladies. For the costume you have the option of making one but there are few costume patterns available - try a major haberdashery store to see what they have or can get. If you want to buy a costume then you have the option of either hiring one or buying one of your own. With the advent of mass production, it is probably easier to buy than rent and the price differential is probably insignificant.
If you choose to buy an Oktoberfest costume then the options will be between visiting your local fancy dress store or shopping on-line through an internet based fancy dress costume site. In either case, they should also be able to offer you a selection of Alpine Hats, other fancy dress accessories as well as a selection of associated party goods; Oktoberfest banners, decorative cut outs, streamers and Oktoberfest beads and throws in blue and white.
Online retailers tend to lay their shops out so that it's easy to find the costume that you are looking for and a few will have an exceptional variety of fancy dress costume accessories. And in the main, it is the careful selection of your costume accessories that really brings the whole costume together.
Oktoberfest originates from the wedding celebrations surrounding the marriage of the Crown Prince, later to become King Lugwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hilburghausen. The marriage took place on October 17, 1810 and was celebrated with horse races and other popular entertainments of the day. These celebrations were soon incorporated with the agricultural show held around the same time and they have grown enormously ever since.
Nowadays there are huge fairgrounds with shooting galleries, fairground stalls and side-shows along with all manner of other amusements and activities. In recognition of its origins, the vast fairgrounds associated with the festival are referred to as 'Theresienwiese' after Princess Therese.
The primarily location for Oktoberfest is Munich where more than 6 million people visit each year. German transport authorities organise special coaches and trains to Munich's 'Wies'n' celebrations, the traditional popular name for the festival. As a result of its global popularity the festival has also been nicknamed as the Festival of Nations.
The Munich Oktoberfest beer festival always starts with a procession of gaily and colourfully decorated brewers carts and drays belonging to the local brewers and publicans who are taking part in the festival. At midday punctually, and you can't imagine anything other than it happening dead on midday, the Mayor of Munich taps the first barrel of the special Wies'n beer to a salvo of cannon fire.
Oktoberfest has its own beer a strong dark beer which is brewed and stored especially for the occasion. Recently it has been estimated that approx 7 million litres of this strong brew are drunk during the celebrations, nearly half a million litres per day of the 17 day festival. Originally this stronger than normal brew, was made as a 'special' from the residues that built up during the preceding year of brewing. Nowadays with 19 million litres being required it is part of the normal brewing cycle.
If you are unable to attend the celebrations yourself and feel that you want to hold your own Oktoberfest celebration here are a few tips. Firstly, the colours of the Munich festival are light blue and white, so streamers, beads etc should all be themed to these colours. Flags should be chequered design of light blue and white. These are readily available from online suppliers should you require them. If you cannot get any Wies'n beer, then lager would be an acceptable substitute.
Oktoberfest foods would be the traditional bratwurst served either with brot (bread) or Kaiser rolls. Bratwurst is always served with German mustard and often sauerkraut and/or potato salad are offered as accompaniments. Within Germany these are not foods restricted to Oktoberfest but are widely enjoyed throughout the year with bratwurst forming the basis of Germany's fast-food industry - although the golden arches are becoming more widespread wherever you go.
Costumes are anything German and there are some fantastic lederhosen costumes for men and German Heidi or Bier Maid costumes for ladies. For the costume you have the option of making one but there are few costume patterns available - try a major haberdashery store to see what they have or can get. If you want to buy a costume then you have the option of either hiring one or buying one of your own. With the advent of mass production, it is probably easier to buy than rent and the price differential is probably insignificant.
If you choose to buy an Oktoberfest costume then the options will be between visiting your local fancy dress store or shopping on-line through an internet based fancy dress costume site. In either case, they should also be able to offer you a selection of Alpine Hats, other fancy dress accessories as well as a selection of associated party goods; Oktoberfest banners, decorative cut outs, streamers and Oktoberfest beads and throws in blue and white.
Online retailers tend to lay their shops out so that it's easy to find the costume that you are looking for and a few will have an exceptional variety of fancy dress costume accessories. And in the main, it is the careful selection of your costume accessories that really brings the whole costume together.
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