Beer lovers rejoice as 2014 marks the 181st year of Oktoberfest! This 16 day festival is the world’s largest fair and attracts over 6 million people from around the world. The locals call it “Wies’n” or the nickname for Theresienwiese, the fairgrounds where the festival is held. While this festival has been taking place annually since 1810, here at RNR we began to wonder…why is Oktoberfest celebrated in September?

History

Believe it or not, Oktoberfest isn’t completely misnamed because the original Oktoberfest was actually held in October (Oct. 12, 1810, to be exact). In 1810 the residents of Munich were invited to celebrate the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig—the future King Ludwig I—and Princess Therese of Sachsen-Hildburghausen. It featured a parade, dancing, horse races and of course lots of beer drinking. Needless to say, it was such a good time that the tradition stuck, and as time passed the length of the festival increased from one day to two weeks. Additionally, a decision was made to celebrate the festival earlier in order to avoid a snowy Oktoberfest. Thus, morphing it into the festival we know today.

The Modern Festival

While many may forget or not even know about the origin of Oktoberfest, today it is all about the beer and the food. This year, the festival kicks off on September 20th when the Mayor of Munich taps the first keg. After that, a steady stream of beer keeps flowing as nearly 7 million liters of beer are served- which is almost enough to fill three Olympic sized swimming pools! Yet steins usually run around 9-10 euros apiece, so drinking is not cheap. However, at the festival not any run of the mill brew can be served. The beer must meet Oktoberfest criteria (i.e. it must be brewed within the Munich city limits, have a minimum of 6%alcohol by volume and be fermented for a minimum of 30 days). Paulaner, Spaten, Hacker-Pschorr, Augustiner, Hofbräu and Löwenbräu are among the approved breweries that visitors can expect on site.

In addition to enjoying liters of golden lager, visitors can also enjoy traditional German fare such as Würstl (sausages) Brezen (pretzel) and Knödel (potato or bread dumplings). But wait! There is more to this festival than brats and brews! For example, the Riflemen’s parade features horses, cows, goats as well as people dressed in traditional Bavarian costumes is a highlight of the event. Plus there are concerts, dancing, games and a host of other family friendly activities.

Luckily for those of us who can’t make it to Munich to celebrate, smaller Oktoberfests happen all around the world. And don’t worry, if you are of German heritage or not, its okay to let loose. If you are looking for more fun, try this quiz on 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Oktoberfest.  In the meantime, Prost! or for you non-German speakers “Bottoms up!”