Travel
Germany: Oktoberfest
by Jean Sutherland, http://www.spasoftheworld.com/spas/
Travel
Germany: Oktoberfest
Travelers
to Germany during late September and early October are in for
an Oktoberfest treat: two solid weeks of beer drinking, revelry
and entertainment. For a glimpse into the festivities, as well
as some of the history surrounding the event, read on.
Travel
Germany: History of Oktoberfest
Even
though the event is named for the month afterwards, travelers
to Germany’s will notice that Oktoberfest actually starts
in September. Originally, the party began on the 12th of October,
1810, with the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig
I of Bavaria) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.
The event caused such a stir that it just had to happen again
the following year! This started the German tradition that travelers
from around the world flock to see every year.
In
1818, the celebration was comprised of one carousel and a couple
of rides (appropriate for the times). The beer tents didn’t
start popping up until 1896, and because Munich was quite a
bit smaller than it is today, visitors to the German Oktoberfest
had to travel to a large, 31 hectare field known as die Theresienwiese,
which was named after the Princess. Locals, however, know the
area just as die Wiesn.
Travel
Germany: Oktoberfest Today
Oktoberfest
in Germany to travelers is a lot like the agricultural fairs
elsewhere, complete with rides, merry-go-rounds, a carnival-like
atmosphere, food, and, of course, the overflowing amounts of
beer available at the 14 Bavarian beer tents. However, German
travelers should be aware that the full meal deal agricultural
fair, called Zentrallandwirtschaftsfest, is only held every
three years. Also, die Theresienwiese now lies within the city
limits, so visitors to Germany’s Oktoberfest don’t
have to travel so far.
Officially,
Oktoberfest starts when Munich’s mayor, known in German
as the Oberbürgermeister, taps the first beer keg and yells
O'zapft is! (meaning, literally, “it’s tapped!”)
at noon on the first Saturday of the event; travelers from around
the world come just to see this! And as always in German culture,
everything has a name, and this date is no exception; travelers
will hear the first day of Oktoberfest called Wiesn-Samstag.
Nowadays, the festivities start on a Saturday in September,
and end on the first Sunday in October.
Families
aren’t left out of the loop either at the festivities;
travelers to the German Oktoberfest can attend the two Tuesday
afternoon events designated just for families, called Familiennachmittagen.
From 12:00 to 6:00 on these days, German travelers can take
advantage of special prices for public transportation and entry
rates as well.
Since
Oktoberfest is held in Munich, the language primarily used is
Barisich. Because this Bavarian dialect is a bit strange, travelers
to Germany and Germans alike sometimes have a hard time understanding
the die bairische Sprache (Bavarian dialect), so it’s a
great idea to brush up a bit on your terms before heading to
the event. This link will help you learn some of the more familiar
words you’ll encounter on your travels to Gemany’s
Oktoberfest, as well as Bavarian words used on the streets to
help you navigate your journey. http://oktoberfest.sat1.de/en/.
Jean
Sutherland is the owner of the informative website http://www.spasoftheworld.com/europe/germany.htm
& http://www.spasoftheworld.com/spas/index.html
She has worked in the travel industry for over 10 years and lived
in Mexico for 3 years. Please also look at the Mexican Animal
Shelter site she supports. http://www.anitasanimals.com
