The festive traditions of Oktoberfest trace their origins back to the 19th century, when King Ludwig I of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The wedding took place on October 12, 1810. Guests were then invited to continue celebrating with festivities organized by the new husband.<\/p>\n
The celebrations were held in a vast field near the city of Munich. The field was named Theresienwiese<\/strong> (\u201cTherese\u2019s Meadow\u201d) in honor of the king\u2019s new bride. The festivities lasted five days! After such a success, it was decided that the event would be repeated every year.<\/p>\n Since 1810, Oktoberfest has been celebrated every year in this enormous park dedicated to the event. In its 219 years of existence (including this year), there have been only 24 years when Oktoberfest was not held, mainly due to conflicts such as the First and Second World Wars.<\/p>\n Today, Oktoberfest begins on the first Saturday after September 15 and continues until the first Sunday of October.<\/p>\n At exactly noon, the mayor of Munich taps the first keg of beer, officially opening the festival. The goal is to accomplish this with as few hammer strikes as possible. One of the worst performances was actually by the man who introduced the tradition in 1950 \u2014 Mayor Thomas Wiemmer \u2014 who needed 17 hits to open the keg!<\/p>\n The opening ceremonies of the Wiesn<\/em> (the common German name for Oktoberfest) take place inside the Schottenhamel tent<\/strong>, which can accommodate about 6,000 people \u2014 or up to 9,000 if you include the outdoor beer gardens.<\/p>\n This year, Mayor Dieter Reiter tapped the keg with only two blows before shouting the famous \u201cO\u2019zapft is!\u201d<\/strong> meaning \u201cThe beer is tapped!\u201d<\/em> He then served the first Mass<\/strong> (one-liter beer) to the Bavarian Prime Minister, as tradition requires. Every year, people place bets on how many swings it will take!<\/p>\n Since 1950, another tradition has been added: firing 12 cannon blasts to mark the official start of the festivities. A large parade follows, featuring participants in traditional Bavarian attire.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough beer is at the heart of the festivities, food also plays a major role. Large tents are set up for each brewery. Regulars tend to stay loyal to their preferred brand of beer,\u201d explains \u00c9ric, logistics manager at Zeste du monde traiteur, who was born near the famous Black Forest.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople buy a ticket and take a seat in the tent of their choice. Long tables covered with red-checkered cloths fill the space. The atmosphere is incredibly festive. On the tables, you\u2019ll find roast chicken, sausages, sauerkraut, and potatoes. Everyone helps themselves \u2014 it\u2019s very convivial,\u201d \u00c9ric adds.<\/p>\n \u201cGerman culture is also highlighted, as many festival-goers wear traditional Bavarian clothing. It\u2019s the perfect occasion to enjoy folk music and even practice some traditional dance steps.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, many Bavarians attend, but there are also many tourists. One year, I shared my table with a group of Japanese visitors who didn’t speak a word of German, but who had learned an entire traditional song by heart \u2014 we sang it together all evening. It truly is a joyful celebration where everyone is welcome!\u201d says \u00c9ric.<\/p>\n The site includes 17 massive beer tents<\/strong>, 21 smaller tents<\/strong>, and many food stands. What can you eat there? Giant pretzels, gingerbread hearts, cheese spaetzle, pork schnitzel or roast pork, salmon, and many more typical dishes. It\u2019s certainly not the place to count calories \u2014 but it is<\/em> a paradise for food lovers!<\/p>\n Oktoberfest\u2019s popularity continues to grow: over 6 million visitors<\/strong> are expected during the festival\u2019s 18 days. The spirit of the Wiesn is celebrated in several places around the world, including France, Spain, and even Qu\u00e9bec.<\/p>\n Prost!<\/strong><\/p>\n By Caroline Cudia<\/em> The festive traditions of Oktoberfest trace their origins back to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-non-categorise"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Festival That Travels Through Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n
O\u2019zapft is!<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Eat, Drink and Dance<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Did You Know?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\n$16,000! That was the auction price in 2009 for a bottle of L\u00f6wenbr\u00e4u Lager recovered from the wreckage of the Hindenburg disaster of May 6, 1937, in New Jersey.<\/li>\n
\nThe six authorized breweries for 2019 are: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbr\u00e4u, L\u00f6wenbr\u00e4u, Paulaner, and Spaten.<\/strong><\/li>\n
\nHe reportedly worked as an assistant electrician, helping to install light bulbs in the very first tent to use electricity: the Schottenhamel Festhalle<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nWriter for Zeste du monde<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"