Oktoberfest: the history of the holiday. Oktoberfest: history of the holiday and interesting facts The festival is so large-scale that it has its own post office

Oktoberfest (October folk festivals, German Oktoberfest) is a folk festival held annually in Munich (Germany), the world's largest beer festival..

Oktoberfest is organized and conducted by the Munich administration. Only Munich brewing companies are allowed to participate in this festival, which brew for it a special Oktoberfest beer (German Oktoberfestbier) with an alcohol content of 5.8-6.3%, which at other times of the year is usually called March or Vienna.

History of the holiday

The holiday has a long history. Since 1872 it begins in September. The first day is traditionally Saturday, which is why the duration can vary greatly (on average 16 days). The holiday ends on the first Sunday in October. If it falls on October 1 or 2, then the holiday is extended until October 3.

Oktoberfest first took place on October 12, 1810 in honor of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig (future King Ludwig I) and Princess Theresa of Saxony-Hildburghaus (the meadow where the festival takes place is named after her). In honor of the wedding, horse racing was also held on October 17. For this reason, various sources call

Oktoberfest is the most popular and massive folk festival in the world. Every year, with the arrival of autumn, millions of people visit the south-eastern part of Bavaria. It is there, in the city of Munich, that the celebration will be held in the next couple of weeks. A whirlwind of great mood and unbridled fun, music and dancing will engulf you.

Tons of fried chicken and Bavarian sausages, fish and pretzels, washed down with an unreal number of liters of beer. Those who come here should forget about diets and a healthy lifestyle for a while because Oktoberfest is the largest beer festival in the world.

As soon as the celebration of the next Oktoberfest comes to an end, preparations for the new Festival next year immediately begin. Oktoberfest is a Munich creation and lasts two to three weeks. The third Saturday in September is traditionally considered the start day of Oktoberfest, and Oktoberfest ends on the first Sunday in October. But if Sunday falls on the 1st or 2nd, the holiday will be extended until October 3rd (German Unity Day). In 2019, Oktoberfest celebrations will last 15 days, from September 21 to October 6.

Beer for the Oktoberfest celebration can only be produced and supplied by six Munich breweries. This beer meets the requirements of the “Law of Purity of Beer” issued in 1516. This law stipulates the composition of beer, which must consist of three components: barley, hops and water. During non-holiday times, this beer is called “Martovskoe” and its strength reaches 6%.

The history of the Oktoberfest beer festival

October 12, 1810 is considered the date of the Oktoberfest. This is the day of the wedding of Bavarian Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghaus. It was decided to hold the celebration outside the city in a field. Since then, this place has been named Theresa’s Meadow, and now Oktoberfest is celebrated there. On October 17, 1810, horse races were held on this meadow and now there is debate as to which date should be considered the beginning of Oktoberfest.

The idea of ​​celebrating Oktoberfest was in the spirit of the Bavarian population and it was decided to hold an agricultural exhibition here in a year, which has become a tradition for Oktoberfest. It is still held during Oktoberfest, although now not every year, but once every four years. In 1811, the first shops selling beer were opened. In 1813, they decided not to hold Oktoberfest due to hostilities with Napoleon. Until 1819, organizational issues related to the celebration of Oktoberfest were dealt with privately, but it was in this year that the city council became responsible for holding Oktoberfest and decided to make Oktoberfest an annual holiday. In August 1850, a bronze statue of “Bavaria” was installed in Theresa’s meadow. In 1872, the dates for celebrating Oktoberfest changed. It was decided to move most of the festival to September due to better weather conditions. And since 1904, its terms were finally established and are not subject to change.

Gradually, various components were added to the celebration of the festival, thanks to which the familiar image of modern Oktoberfest is formed in our minds. Since 1881, fried chicken has been on sale during the beer festival, and since 1892, glass beer mugs have replaced the previously used clay mugs. In those same years, beer tent owners began to get rid of the entertainment components inside the tents. Dance scenes with attractions moved to the street, thereby adding additional benches and tables for customers. In 1886, Oktoberfest was electrified. According to one well-known German newspaper “AZ”, it was Albert Einstein who screwed in the first light bulbs in Michael Schottenhamel’s beer tent.

Before the outbreak of the First World War, the festival became increasingly popular. In 1910, the centenary anniversary was marked by the sale of more than a million liters of beer, and in 1913, Oktoberfest was marked by the construction of a beer tent with a record 12 thousand seats. Subsequently, the festival was not remembered for many years, first during the war, and then during the post-war crisis. When the Nazis came to power, Oktoberfest celebrations underwent significant changes and it was not until 1949 that the old Oktoberfest was revived.

Beer festival events

Procession of beer tent owners

Since 1887, the festive procession of beer tent owners traditionally marks the beginning of the Oktoberfest celebrations. A young girl holding a bell in a black and yellow robe represents the symbol of Munich, called the “Munchner Kindi” and, together with the mayor, is at the head of the festive procession. They ride on a festive cart, followed by the owners of Oktoberfest beer tents. They are carrying barrels of beer that they will sell. Musicians also take part in the Oktoberfest procession, who will subsequently delight the ears of visitors to the beer tents. The Oktoberfest procession starts in the center of Munich and moves to its end point - Theresa Meadow. The duration of the festive procession is about an hour. More than a thousand people are part of the procession. The streets are crowded with Munich residents and tourists, and there is a television broadcast.

How to open the first barrel of beer

Upon the arrival of all members of the festive procession at their destination at noon, the main event of the first day of the festival takes place - driving the tap into the first barrel of beer. This obligation was entrusted to the Bavarian mayors in 1950 and is fulfilled by them to this day. Every year, residents of Bavaria look forward to this moment and often make bets on the number of blows the mayor will need to open the barrel. The record in this case was set in 2006 by the then mayor Christian Uhde, he needed only one blow, but the anti-record in this case belongs to the discoverer Thomas Wimmer, whose keg took as many as 19 blows! Having driven in the tap, the mayor exclaims “Uncorked!”, followed by 12 signal shots, which serves as a signal for the owners of all beer tents to start trading. The first glass of beer is poured at Oktoberfest for the Bavarian Prime Minister.

Costume procession of the Oktoberfest beer festival

The costume parade is another of the oldest Oktoberfest customs. For the first time, this event was held in honor of the 25th anniversary of the marriage of Ludwig and Teresa. Since 1950, not a single Oktoberfest has been complete without it. The second day of the festival was the day of the costume procession. The starting point of the procession is the building of the Bavarian Parliament, and the procession ends in Theresa's meadow. The procession usually involves 8 thousand participants who dress in national and historical costumes. The demonstration is invariably led by a Munich child, accompanied by authorized representatives of the Bavarian government. Following is a procession consisting of forty elegantly decorated carts, musical ensembles, various communities of folk costumes, and shooting societies. Recently, they have often been joined by representatives from various European countries.

How is Oktoberfest going?

No matter how interesting the festive events are, the real juice of this whole event can only be felt in the crowd of celebrating people. During Oktoberfest celebrations, all roads lead to Theresa's Meadow. It is unlikely that it will be possible to convey in words this feeling of undivided joy, reckless fun, with the indispensable attributes in the form of vocal accompaniment heard from all sides in various languages ​​or sensual dancing on the table, seasoned with inexhaustible beer libations.

Oktoberfest beer tents

The most important attributes of Oktoberfest were the world famous Munich beer tents. Their owners are six world-famous Munich breweries: Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu, Hofbräu, Paulaner, Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr and Löwenbräu. The total number of beer tents installed in the meadow during the festival reaches 32. Of these, 14 tents can accommodate up to 10,000 people and 18 tents can accommodate up to 1,000 people. Beer in Teresa's Meadow is sold only in tents, which are constantly crowded and you will have to stand in line before you can quench your thirst. Beer mugs there are the same size - liter. You need to be prepared for this in advance; you won’t be able to get standard half-liters there.

Oktoberfest waitress girls

A beautiful, young, busty girl, dressed in a national Bavarian costume, with an incredible number of mugs of beer in her hands, and a cheerful smile on her face. This is the picture that most likely pops up in the mind of a person who has never been to Oktoberfest. In fact, more men than women work as waiters at Oktoberfest. And there is a rational explanation for this; carrying huge trays of food or a dozen liter mugs at a time requires stamina and strength. But even if a waiter in a female form approaches your table, it is not a fact that she will be young and beautiful. Working at Oktoberfest is very lucrative and the chance of meeting a waitress “well over 30” is growing every year. But of course, there is always a chance that a young and smiling waitress will serve you!

Food and drink

The key drink of Oktoberfest is beer, which is specially prepared for this holiday. This beer contains less gases in its composition (compared to regular beer), but it has a slightly increased alcohol content (5.8%-6.3%). But besides beer, you can enjoy the taste of other drinks. Walking through the meadow, you will definitely see a tent selling Munich wine. There is always the opportunity to drink stronger alcoholic drinks that do not contain alcohol at all.

It's impossible to attend Oktoberfest without enjoying traditional Bavarian snacks. Hendl (fried chicken) is a must try. It is the one that is eaten the most during Oktoberfest. Bratwurst (pork sausage) and Schweinshaxen (pork knuckle) will be appreciated by pork lovers. Steckerlfisch (fried fish on a stick) is a traditional beer snack. Weisswurst (white Bavarian sausages), Kartoffelsalat (potato salad), Brezel (pretzel) and many different delicacies will not leave anyone indifferent.

Attractions, Oktoberfest for families

During the “Beer Festival” on the territory of Theresa Meadow, there is a huge amount of entertainment for visitors, from ancient carousels, which have been delighting Oktoberfest guests for 80 years, to modern attractions. Tuesday is considered the “family” day of Oktoberfest. On this day, food, drinks and attractions delight visitors with children with their prices. There is also a “family square” on the festival grounds, equipped with carousels for the youngest guests and a cafe with children’s menus.

Where is Oktoberfest held besides Munich?

• The Cannstatter Volksfest, or Stuttgart October Festival, is considered the second largest celebration of its kind in the world. You can visit it by arriving in the city of Stuttgart in October and be amazed at its scale, as more than 4.5 million people visit it annually.
• In the Federal Republic of Germany, cities such as Hörn with its festival Kranger Kirmes - Fair Week and Bremen with its - Bremer Freimarkt attract about 4.4 million people during their festivities, they are slightly inferior to Düsseldorf with the fair - Gröste Kirmes am Rhein, which is visited 4.3 million people.
• Oktoberfest is celebrated not only in Germany. In Canada, the city of Kitchener also celebrates Oktoberfest, its average attendance is about 800 thousand people.
• In the south of Brazil, in a town called Blumenau, there is also a tradition of celebrating its own Oktoberfest. About 650 thousand people gather on the streets of the city.
• In the United States of America, Oktoberfests are celebrated in many cities. For example, more than 500 thousand Americans visit Cincinnati annually during the festival, and the city of Tulsa is visited by almost 200.
• In the capital of the Russian Federation, a large number of establishments hold unique Oktoberfests.
• Oktoberfest has long been known worldwide. Every third resident of Germany has been to Oktoberfest at least once. 1985 brought record attendance for Oktoberfest, with over 7.5 million visitors attending that year. There is no other festival like it in the world that could boast the same number of people. That is why the Beer Festival - Oktoberfest 2017 should not pass you by!

Stars at Oktoberfest

Big fan of the festival

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There is hardly a beer festival in the world more popular than Oktoberfest, which has been held in Munich on Terezin Meadow for more than 200 years. Each year, approximately 6 million visitors flock to the city to sample special festival beers from the city's best breweries. The foamy drink is distinguished by a pronounced malt taste due to long aging and a strength of 5.8 to 6.3%, and it is produced only at this time of year.

Only Munich breweries were, are and will be allowed to participate in the festival.

A little history

The festival was first held when Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Theresa, after whom the meadow where the festival takes place is named. This happened in October 1810, the event became an annual event, and the name Oktoberfest was assigned to it. The dates have gradually moved to warmer, sunnier September, but the two-week festival traditionally spans the first weekend of October.

For 200 years, the holiday was canceled only a few times and only for very good reasons: because of the cholera epidemic, the Prussian-Austrian and Franco-Prussian Wars, the First and Second World Wars and hyperinflation in Germany in 1923-1924. For a long time, Oktoberfest was an event for residents of Bavaria and the surrounding regions of Germany. Only since 1960, tourists from different parts of the world began to come to it, and now it is one of the most visited festivals in the world and the largest folk festival.

Munich Oktoberfest

How is Oktoberfest going?

Traditionally, Oktoberfest begins on Saturday with a procession of tent owners. Led by the mayor of Munich, the procession on festive carts with barrels of beer placed on them and accompanied by orchestras passes through the city center and ends at Theresa’s meadow. At exactly noon, 12 shots are fired into the sky from a cannon, and in the Schottenhamel-Festzelt tent, the current mayor of Munich drives a tap into the first barrel - Oktoberfest is open! The next day, on the first Sunday of the holiday, a costume procession and a parade of riflemen take place. About 8 thousand people dressed in historical and national costumes, along with orchestras and decorated teams, march from the Bavarian parliament building to Theresa's Meadow. The costumed procession and the ceremonial knocking of the cork from the first barrel are relatively new traditions; they appeared only in 1950.

The holiday lasts just over two weeks, during which time 14 large (with a capacity of 10 thousand people) and 15 small beer tents (with a capacity of 1000 people) are built on Teresa’s meadow.

Life is seething inside the tents - fragile-looking waitresses are serving 12-liter mugs of beer at a time, festival guests are devouring fried chicken and pork sausages by both cheeks, beer is flowing like a river, the music is thundering, and the noisy, cheerful crowd does not stop for a minute. Often, at one table or at another, someone gets up and, to the applause of those around them, drinks a liter of beer in one fell swoop, while others empty their mugs at speed.

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The festival has a lot of entertainment: carousels, breathtaking roller coasters, a 50-meter Ferris wheel, a free-fall simulation tower. You can periodically take a break from tasting and just take a walk, choose souvenirs, make new acquaintances, ride one of the attractions or watch a flea circus. Otherwise, there is a great chance that if you drink too much, you will end up in the caring hands of doctors and volunteer paramedics serving the festival. In German there is even a special name for those who do not know the measure: Bierleichen - beer corpse.

Every Tuesday is a family day with significant discounts on food and attractions. There are special rooms for children, and for the convenience of parents - parking for strollers and a microwave where you can heat up baby food. Children under 6 years old can be taken to the holiday on other days, but they must leave the beer tents before 20:00.

Oktoberfest 2017

Oktoberfest 2017 opens on Saturday 16th September with an official tapping ceremony at the Schottenhamel tent at 12:00. On this day, it is better to arrive early - good places are taken as early as 9:00. On Sunday, September 17th at 10:00 a.m. the costume parade will begin. Other significant events are the traditional religious mass on September 21 at 10:00 and the brass band concert on September 29 at 11:00. The festival will last until October 3: at midnight it will end with a fireworks display at the Bavarian monument.

In 2017, prices at Oktoberfest increased slightly, especially for soft drinks. A liter of beer will cost about 11 EUR, and lemonade and mineral water will cost even more. Prices are fixed, you can study them at the office. event website (in English).

New attractions will appear: Drifting Coaster - drifting gondolas, Voodoo Jumper - jumping with a complete feeling of weightlessness, XXL Racer, raising to a height of 55 m, Jules Vernes Tower - raising even higher: 70 m at a speed of 65 km/h. For those who are not looking for thrills, Oide Wiesn is a good option - a ride in a 70-year-old carriage among picturesque lawns with goats, horses and piglets. Every 4 years, an agricultural exhibition is held in parallel at Terezin Meadow, and it will be held this year as well.

On the opening day, beer tents will be open from 12:00 to 22:30, at other times: on weekdays - from 10:00 to 22:30, on Saturday and Sunday - from 9:00 to 22:30. Attractions, food stalls - from 10:00 to midnight. All tents are free to enter, but capacity is limited so you'll need to arrive early or make reservations in advance. Detailed information - at the office. website. Once the tents are full they are closed, usually before noon even on weekdays.

You can buy souvenirs as souvenirs: mugs, glasses, magnets, T-shirts with the festival emblem. They are already on sale in the online store at the office. website

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Having reached Munich, you need to get to Theresienwiese, located in the very center of the city. From the airport, the most convenient way is to take the S8 train to the Hackerbrucke station, from which it is a 10-minute walk to the festival site. From the train and bus stations in the center of Munich, Theresienwiese is a 15-minute walk away. If you are too lazy to walk, you can take the metro one stop (line U4).

Hotels are predictably crowded during Oktoberfest. For unpretentious guests, every year Oktoberfest All Inclusive Camping is set up 10 km from the city center: tents, marquees and sleeping bags; common amenities. Not very comfortable, but fun and cheap. There is a relaxation area and a bar where beer lovers make noise and enjoy life around the clock. A tent for two will cost 2000 EUR for the entire festival period. In any hotel or even hostel, prices for the festival dates will be significantly higher.

For several days now, the most famous folk festival on the planet - Oktoberfest - has been taking place in Munich. Today we will tell you a little about this wonderful event, but before moving on to the “beer corpses” and “the most popular sport at Oktoberfest,” we suggest you familiarize yourself with its history and features.

History of Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest first took place on October 12, 1810 in honor of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig (future King Ludwig I) and Princess Theresa of Saxony-Hildburghaus (the meadow where the festival takes place is named after her). Initially, the holiday was organized and held privately. In 1819, the organization and management of the holiday was placed in the hands of the Munich city council. It was decided that Oktoberfest would be held every year without exception. In 1872, Oktoberfest was moved to the end of September - beginning of October, since at this time the weather in Munich was more comfortable than in mid-October. However, the last Sunday of the holiday must be in October. This tradition has survived to this day.

In 1881, the first chicken roaster opened, and in 1892, beer was first served in the now familiar glass mugs. Around the same time, the tents in which beer was sold took on the appearance that they have now. During the early Oktoberfest, the tents had even larger dance floors, a bowling alley, and other attractions. All this was moved outside to give more space for visitors and musicians. In 1910, Oktoberfest celebrated its centenary. On this occasion, 1.2 million liters of beer were sold. In 1913, the largest tent in the history of the festival was erected with 12,000 seats (Bräurosl, now has about 6,000 seats; the largest tent to date - Hofbräu-Festhalle - has about 10,000 seats). Changes at Oktoberfest were also associated with the coming to power of the National Socialists. The display of various developmental defects, such as Siamese twins, incorrectly built people, etc., which had been practiced at the holiday for decades, was prohibited. Horse racing, which had previously faded more and more into the background, was resumed. In 1936-1938, the Bavarian blue and white flags that decorated the holiday were replaced by Nazi flags with a swastika.

From 1939 to 1945, Oktoberfest was not held due to World War II. Since 1950, there has been a tradition to begin the holiday with twelve shots into the sky from a cannon, as well as the opening of the first barrel of festive beer by the mayor of Munich with the characteristic exclamation “O’zapft is!” (translated from Bavarian something like “Uncorked!”). This tradition was started by the mayor Thomas Wimmer. It took him 19 hits to open the barrel.

Holiday events

Procession of beer tent owners

In 1887 Theresa's meadow was located outside of Munich. For the first time, the owners of the tents and attractions made a joint trip from the city to the meadow to open the holiday together. Since then, the procession of the beer tent owners (German: Einzug der Wiesnwirte) has been the official opening of the holiday. Festive teams from all beer tents of the festival take part in the procession. The carts are equipped with barrels of beer, which is served in a corresponding tent.

Knocking the plug out of the first beer barrel

Knocking out the plug from the first beer barrel (German: Fassanstich) occurs after the procession of beer tent owners, at exactly 12:00. In the Schottenhamel-Festzelt tent, the current mayor of Munich knocks the plug out of the first barrel of Oktoberfest beer. This action is performed with the characteristic exclamation “O’zapft is!”, after which Oktoberfest is considered open. Every year there is anticipation to see how many blows it will take for the current burgomaster to open the barrel. The best result was achieved by Christian Uhde in 2006, opening the barrel with one blow.

Costume procession

The procession has been held annually since 1950 and has become one of the most important events of Oktoberfest, as well as one of the largest processions of its kind in the world. On the first Sunday of the holiday, about 8,000 people dressed in historical and national costumes walk along a 7-kilometer route from the Maximileaneum (the building of the Bavarian parliament) to Theresa's Meadow. This procession is also led by a Munich child, followed by representatives of the city government and the state government of Bavaria, usually the minister-president and his wife. The procession is attended by orchestras, shooting societies, national costume societies and about 40 festively decorated teams. Most of the groups and societies come from various Bavarian regions, but there are also representatives from Austria, Switzerland, northern Italy and other European countries.

Traditional costume of an Oktoberfest visitor

1. Bavarian style hat. Made from felt or suede, decorated with pheasant feathers or a tassel of boar hair.

2. Traditional Bavarian shirt. Typically a plain shirt in white, blue, red or green. Decorated with bone buttons or embroidery.

3. “Lederhosen” - leather work shorts, often also decorated with embroidery.

4. Golfs.

5. Leather boots. Ordinary work shoes, which are polished to a shine.

6. Scarf. The girls wear colorful scarves to contrast their dresses.

7. Blouse. There are both conservative and quite bold ones - everything is at the discretion of the girl.

8. Corsage. It can be either part of a skirt or a separate element.

9. Wide side skirt. Traditional Bavarian skirt with apron.

10. Leather shoes with rubber soles and heeled heels, which are made specifically for dancing.

11. Stein - special liter mugs.

Attractions

The festival has a variety of attractions - from traditional carousels, which you can ride for more than eighty years, to ultra-modern structures like roller coasters.

Some statistics

• Every year, Oktoberfest attracts about 6 million visitors, who drink about 6 million liters of beer and eat 500,000 fried chicken.
• Oktoberfest employs 12,000 people.
• The festival offers 100,000 seats for visitors.
• Six breweries have the right to take part in the holiday - Spaten, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräuhaus, Löwenbräu, which sold 5 in 2004. 5 million liters of beer (6.1 in 2003).
• The holiday's turnover in 2006 amounted to 449 million euros.
• In 2006, holiday guests spent more than 500 million euros on hotel accommodation and public transport.
• The price of a liter of beer, as a rule, increases every year. So, in 2007 it ranged from 7.30 to 7.90 euros, and in 2008 from 7.80 to 8.30 euros.
• In 2007, 351 pickpockets were recorded, 99 fewer than in 2006.
• The volume of music in tents before 18:00 should not exceed 85 decibels.
• To supply the holiday with electricity, 18 transformers and 43 kilometers of electric cable are used.
• Energy consumption is approximately 3 million kilowatt-hours, which corresponds to approximately 13% of Munich's daily electricity consumption.
• A beer tent consumes about 400 kilowatt-hours, large attractions about 300.
• To supply the tents with gas, a four-kilometer network of gas pipes was laid.
• 200 thousand cubic meters of gas are consumed by kitchens and another 20 thousand are spent on heating beer gardens located in the open air.
• The volume of beer sold in a mug should not differ from 1 liter by more than a tenth. Compliance with this rule is monitored by a special society “Verein gegen betrügerisches Einschenken”.
• 830 toilets equipped with regular toilets and urinals with a total length of 750 meters are open to visitors. 17 specially equipped toilets are available for disabled people.

Problems

"Beer Corpses"

One of the problems of modern Oktoberfest is the excessive consumption of alcohol, in particular, that brought to the festival by its visitors. This problem especially affects young people, who are often not ready to buy fairly expensive beer and prefer to bring inexpensive and strong alcoholic drinks with them. The result of excessive alcohol consumption is the so-called “beer corpses”. They are collected into a Red Cross tent and brought to their senses there.

Stealing beer mugs

In recent years, beer mug theft (which is a criminal offense) has become such a big deal that it has become the most popular sport at Oktoberfest. For this reason, security personnel can check any suspicious visitors to see if they have taken mugs from the tents. In 2004, 210,000 mug thefts were prevented in this way.

At the end of the article, we offer you a small selection from Oktoberfest 2010.

In order to get acquainted with the history and traditions of the festival, as well as find out where and when Oktoberfest 2018 will take place, we suggest that you read the review prepared by our Munich guides.

A brief excursion into the history of the holiday

The official date of birth of the world's largest beer festival is October 12, 1810. It was on this significant day that the Bavarian Crown Prince, and later King Louis I, married Princess Therese of Saxony Hildburghausen. In honor of this event, the couple decided to throw a feast not only for themselves and their aristocratic entourage, but also for commoners. To ensure that everyone could take part in the celebration, tables with treats and drinks were organized in several suburban pastures in Munich. The crown prince's subjects liked the event so much that he established it to be held annually.

It is also worthy of attention that the “climax” of the festive feast in 1810 was not drinking the favorite foamy drink, but horse racing. However, after a few years this sad “misunderstanding” was corrected. Since the Bavarians' passion for beer turned out to be much stronger than their love for equestrian sports, horse racing was replaced by a cheerful beer feast.

For nine years, the main founders of the holiday were the royal couple, but already in 1819, all powers to organize the event were transferred to the Munich City Council.

At the end of the 19th century, Oktoberfest acquired features similar to those characteristic of the modern format of the holiday. On the initiative of the Bavarian breweries, the event venue was equipped with spacious beer halls, and the areas for attractions and dances were moved beyond their boundaries. In 1882, traditional tin mugs were replaced with liter glasses made of glass, into which the festive drink is still poured to this day.

Festival traditions

The official tradition of Oktoberfest in the city of Munich is the ceremonial departure of brewery owners in horse-drawn carriages. This event is accompanied by live orchestral music and joyful exclamations of those present.

This beautiful ceremony dates back to 1887, when the festival site was located far outside the city. The festive procession, numbering more than 100,000 participants, began from the central square of Munich and ended at Theresa's Meadow, where beer tents were placed.

Currently, the ceremony is led by the Mayor of Munich. He also opens the festival itself. With a wooden hammer, the mayor hammers a tap into a beer barrel located in the main tent of Oktoberfest - Schottenhammel. The first mug of the drink traditionally goes to the guest of honor of the event - the Prime Minister of Bavaria.

After the end of the ceremony, festive fireworks flash in the sky over Munich, after which twelve cannon salvos are heard, notifying the owners of the pavilions that service to visitors has begun.

It is worth noting the grandiose costume procession, which traditionally takes place on the first Sunday of the holiday. As a rule, the main characters of the event are musical and creative groups from Bavaria and other regions of Germany. Representatives of Italy, Croatia, Poland, Austria and Switzerland can often be seen in the procession.

It is also noteworthy that only six Bavarian breweries are allowed to participate in Oktoberfest, namely Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Paulaner, Löwenbräu, Hofbräu and, of course, Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu. However, festival guests can easily diversify their alcohol menu with other drinks. There are many pavilions on the territory of Terezin Meadow, where visitors will be offered to taste champagne, schnapps and new wine made by local producers.

When and where is Octoberfest taking place in 2018?

According to information published on the organizer's official website, the dates for the festival have already been determined. The opening ceremony will take place on September 22, the preliminary closing date is scheduled for October 8 - 9, 2018. The location of the festival also remains unchanged. Festive events will traditionally take place in the capital of Bavaria - the city of Munich.

Popular analogues of the festival

Currently, in different countries of the world there are many similar festivals that are popular among beer lovers. However, the main competitor of the Munich Octoberfest can be safely called the beer festival in Prague. Despite the fact that the history of the Czech project dates back only a few decades, it managed to win the recognition and love of a multi-million army of beer fans.

How to get to Oktoberfest?

There are various ways to get to the festival in Munich:

• on a tourist package;
• by private transport;
• by booking tickets for a bus tour.

The most preferred option for Russian travelers is the last option. Such tours are organized by many travel agencies, offering their clients inexpensive and high-quality services.

During Oktoberfest, on average:

• About 7.3 million liters of beer are drunk;
• more than 1.5 million sausages are eaten;
• More than 70,000 beer mugs disappear from the pavilions.