Oktoberfest – The Largest Fair In The World

Posted on April 10, 2008
Filed Under Social Issues, Travel, Uncategorized

The Oktoberfest is a sixteen-day festival held each year in Munich, Germany during late September and early October and is an important part of Bavarian culture. It is one of the most famous events in the city and the world’s largest fair, with some six million people attending every year.

And you won’t just find Oktoberfest happening in Germany, either. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations - modelled after the Munich event.

Essentially a beer festival, every festival begins with a keg of beer tapped by the Mayor of Munich who declares “O’zapft is!” - Bavarian for “It’s tapped!” A special Oktoberfest beer is brewed for the occasion, which is slightly darker and stronger in both taste and alcohol and served in a one-litre-tankard called Mass.

Traditionally, the first mass is served to the Bavarian Prime Minister. Only local Munich breweries are allowed to serve this beer in a Bierzelt - a beer tent which is large enough for thousands. Visitors also consume large quantities of food, most of it traditional hearty fare such as sausage, hendl (chicken), kasespatzle (cheese noodles) and sauerkraut along with such Bavarian delicacies as roast ox tails!

The very first Oktoberfest was held in the year 1810 in honour of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festivities began on October 12, 1810 and ended on October 17th with a horse race. In the following years, the celebrations were repeated and, later, the festival was prolonged and moved forward into September. By moving the festivities up, it allowed for better weather conditions. Because the September nights were warmer, the visitors were able to enjoy the gardens outside the tents and spend more time strolling over the without feeling chilly.

Thus, the Munich Oktoberfest traditionally takes place during the sixteen days up to and including the first Sunday in October. In 1990, the schedule was modified in response to German reunification so that if the first Sunday in October falls on the 1st or 2nd, then the festival will go on until October 3rd (German Unity Day). The festival is now seventeen days when the first Sunday is October 2nd and eighteen days when it is October 1st.

One of the biggest talking points among citizens of Munich in the lead-up to the Oktoberfest each year is how much a litre of beer will cost. In 2007 the official price range was between €7.30 and €7.90, as opposed to €6.95 and €7.50 the year before. In the past, price hikes have been a contentious issue.

Oktoberfest is incredibly popular with both tourists and Germans alike; so for anyone wishing to join in the festivities, booking accommodation in one of the numerous hotels in Munich would be strongly advised well before the event, as with six million people attending Oktoberfest every year, the demand will be high!