Oktoberfest — is the world's largest beer festival. It takes place in the Bavarian capital — Munich, begins in the second half of September and lasts more than two weeks.
It began with the marriage of the Bavarian heir to the throne, Crown Prince Ludwig I and Princess Theresa of Saxony. On October 12, 1810, the day their wedding took place, all residents of the city were invited to the festive festivities. They were collected in a large meadow, at that time located outside the city limits. Now, in honor of the princess, it is called Teresa's Meadow (Theresienwiese). On that day, festivities were organized for Munich residents with free beer and horse racing.
Everything went so lively and fun that Ludwig gave the order to celebrate Oktoberfest annually. Every year the traditions of past years were preserved, and new ones were added to them. So, in 1811, a farmers' holiday was added to the races with a show of the most beautiful horses and bulls. In 1818, carousels and swings were installed. At the same time, the first beer stalls were set up. In 1881, the world's first and largest chicken roaster opened.
Since 1810, the tradition of holding the festival annually was interrupted only during the World Wars. After World War II, the beer festival opened in 1950, by order of the then mayor of Munich, Thomas Wimmer. Since then it has been held annually.
According to tradition, on the opening day, at exactly 12 o’clock, the mayor of the city uncorks a barrel of beer. This symbolic action kicks off the «beer marathon». Then a festive procession begins to move along the central streets of the city. Led by her — «Munchner Kindi» — city symbol — young girl with a large bell in her hand riding a decorated horse. She is dressed in yellow and black monastic clothing.
Next to her are the carriages of the mayor of Munich and the Bavarian administration. They are followed by a string of decorated carriages and carts of beer from all areas of Germany, primarily Bavaria. In addition to them, a column of shooters, folklore artists and performers, brass bands, detachments in historical uniforms, as well as representatives of all German states participate in the procession. In the hands of the participants of the — procession are musical instruments from different parts of the country, used from ancient times to the present day. Traditional genre scenes are played out as they go, with people carrying decorated branches and garlands.
This traditional costume procession received the honorary title of the most beautiful, historically important and best organized in the world. The procession always follows the same route, which is 6 kilometers long. It starts at Siegestor and runs through the magnificent streets of the inner city to the main celebration site of — Meadow Teresa.
Another tradition of Oktoberfest — is the opening of giant beer tents, popularly called «tents». Every year there are exactly 14 of them large and about two dozen medium and small. The first such «tents» appeared in 1896. The largest of them, owned by the Munich beer hall «Hofbrauhaus», seats 11,000 people. Moreover, we are talking only about seats: Germans prefer to drink beer only while sitting. In almost all tents, people sit together, at long tables.
Oktoberfest tradition — opening of giant beer tents (Photo: Losevsky Pavel, licensed from Shutterstock.com)
Each — tent has its own capacity and its own feature. For example, the Augustiner-Festhalle brewery, designed for 10,000 people, serves beer made from wooden barrels brewed by monks. Schottenhamel (6,000 places) is most often attended by students. Near the oldest beer hall in the city — beer hall for crossbow shooters (Armbrustschutzenzelt) — shooting range with 14 crossbow shooting stands. And you can come to Winzerer Fahndl with — children there quietly, calmly, like a family.
Beer can be bought not only in tents: during the beer festival, the whole city is immersed in the holiday, numerous beer spots open in the fresh air — birgartens (beer gardens).
Beer is served by waitresses dressed in antique German costumes. The endurance of these women is amazing, easily lifting 3-4 glasses of beer. But beer at Oktoberfest is drunk in liter mugs called «mass». «mass» first appeared back in 1892. Interestingly, during the holiday, visitors take with them, as a souvenir of the festival, more than 70,000 of these mugs!
Despite the fact that beer — is a drink purely for adults, children are also not forgotten during the holidays. Carousels are specially built for future potential festival participants, ice cream and other sweets are sold. Children ride on the children's railway, ride in horse-drawn carts, and special performances are held for them. At each corner they sell luminous horns, hearts, and hats with flashing light bulbs.
However, not only children, but also adults buy them. And sometimes for practical reasons. Using hearts and stars flashing in the dark, the special service identifies those who, having slightly had too much beer, fell asleep in the fresh air. They will be taken on carts to a special place where poor fellows can sleep and from where friends and relatives will pick them up.
During the festival, about 7 million liters of beer are drunk... (Photo: Werner Heiber, licensed from Shutterstock.com)
All festival days of drinking beer are accompanied by a rich show program. Costume parades, shooting processions, horse races, and concerts replace each other. Near the beer halls you can often see dancers in traditional Bavarian suits with leather pants tap dancing «schuplattle» with heavy alpine boots. The city's breweries and beer museums are also waiting for you with their excursions.
The statistical figures speak best about the scope of the holiday. During the festival, about 7 million liters of beer are drunk (this volume increases every year), about 1.5 million fried chickens and sausages are eaten, 84 bulls. The beer, provided by Munich's six breweries, is sold in 650 beer places. Additionally, 363 shops with souvenirs are opening. Visitors are entertained by 200 attractions and concert venues.
During the festival, Munich is visited by more than 7 million tourists from all continents of the earth. The holiday itself is celebrated live on television channels around the world. For all this, the «Oktoberfest» beer festival was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest holiday.