Beer fans all over the world, despite their particular favorites, are all united by one word: Oktoberfest. This is a 16-18 day festival that takes place every year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It starts in late September and runs through the middle of October. It is, of course, one of the most famous events in Germany, and the largest fair in the world. More than 5 million people attend each year, visiting from all over the world. It is so popular, in fact, that many countries and cities across the globe celebrate similar events, inspired by and modeled after the festival.
Origins of Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest is a crucial part of Bavarian culture. It dates back to October 12, 1810 probably in relation to the parade celebration of the marriage between Prince Ludwig and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. This was not an annual celebration, though, but was revived and continued in 1850, when the parades commemorating the event were once again added to the festival. Approximately 8,000 people, mostly from the Bavarian region, walk from Maximilian Street through the center of Munich to get to the festival. The march, which is always done in traditional costumes, is led by the Munchner Kindl.
While this is an important part of Bavarian culture, the festival did not always go as planned. In 1854, for example, approximately 3,000 Munich residents became afflicted by cholera and the festival was cancelled, for obvious reasons. During 1866, Bavaria was part of the Austro-Prussian War, which also caused a cancellation of the festival. Similarly, in 1870, the France-Prussian War gave cause to cancellation, and another cholera epidemic caused a cancellation in 1873. By 1880, though, Oktoberfest was finally hitting a new stride, perhaps partially due to the introduction of electric light and the growth in size to over 400 booths and tents.
As you may have gathered, Oktoberfest was put on hold between the years of 1914 and 1918 because of World War I. This was the longest period of time that did not consistently celebrate the festival at that time. However, the two years after the war concluded also saw no festival because of inflation. It should be only obvious, then, that when Hitler began his reign, and swastika flags replaced those of Bavaria’s blue and white one, there was no festival. During World War II, between 1933 and 1945, there were no festivals. From 1946 to 1948, though, Munich only celebrated the “Autumn Fest.” Since its inception, the festival has been cancelled 24 times.
Since 1950, though, Oktoberfest has been a widely-celebrated and worldly-anticipated event. It has since grown to see approximately seven million people over the two and a half week period. About three-quarters of the fair visitors will likely be from Bavaria. Of course, the other 25% of visitors will likely hail from other countries of the European Union as well as the countries of the Americas. Visitors will taste beer, wine, sparkling wine, coffee, and tea from the region as well as dine on local delicacies made from chicken, pork sausages, fish, pork knuckles, and oxen.
