What the hell is Oktoberfest?
It’s called ‘Oktober’fest but starts in September—we’re still trying to figure that one out. Here’s everything a man needs to know about the world’s biggest beer festival.
It is the world’s largest Volksfest (beer festival and travelling funfair) held annually in Munich, Germany.
Whaaaat? Yes, it was in 1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig was married to Princess Therese on October 12, the citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities, which later gave rise to the tradition of Oktoberfest.
More than 8 million litres of beer is gulped down by 6 million people who attend the 16-day celebration each year.
It’s not just about beer, guys. It’s a food paradise too! Think of the traditional and forever lip-smacking sauerkrauts, dumplings, cheese noodles, sausages and roast chicken and lots of them. Every year, Oktoberfest revellers eat over 500,000 roast chicken and roughly 120,000 pairs of pork sausages. Last year, in just 17 days, 118 oxen and 53 calves were consumed.
The fest goes on till the German Unity Day on 3rd October to mark the unification of East and West Germany on that day in 1990.
Since 1850, Eight thousand people—mostly from Bavaria—in traditional costumes, walk from Maximilian Street through the centre of Munich to the Oktoberfest grounds in order to honour the marriage of Prince Ludwig.
You’d think that this behemoth of a beer celebration would be a bit of an ‘anything-goes’ affair, but you’d be wrong. Drinking at Oktoberfest can only commence when the master of ceremonies–the mayor of Munich–cracks open the first barrel of beer, proclaiming ‘O’ zapft is’ i.e. ‘It’s tapped!’
From the September 2015 issue of FHM India.
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