When we think about Oktoberfest, beer is probably the first thing that comes to mind. This is not unfounded — according to the official website of the Munich festival, 6.9 million liters of beer were consumed during 2012’s festivities. However, beer actually has very little to do with the origin of the holiday.
The first Oktoberfest was held on Oct. 12, 1810. It got its start as a wedding celebration for Bavarian King Ludwig I and his new wife Princess Therese. The newlyweds invited all the citizens of Munich to attend the wedding feast and revelry, and it was such a success that the celebration continued annually.
Oktoberfest has evolved from a five-day feast, which featured a horse race as its main event to a three-week beer extravaganza.
“This is not so surprising since the area around Munich is traditionally an area where the ingredients for beer are grown,” said Ines Fritzenschaft, a freshman international student from Stuttgart, Germany studying business administration.
In Germany, Oktoberfest generally refers to the traditional Munich festival, but other German towns have their own feasts.
Oktoberfest has become so popular that versions of the festival are popping up all over the world, especially in America. The largest is Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, held yearly in Cincinnati, Ohio. Many American celebrations honor Bavarian tradition but add their own twists. Zinzinnati, for example, holds an annual “Running of the Wieners,” during which dachshunds in hot dog costumes are pitted against each other in a race.
The Triangle held its own Oktoberfest on Oct. 3 and 4 at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. It was the second annual event and included live music, a Hammerschlagen contest (a German tradition involving nailing spikes into an old stump) and a yodeling contest. Funds raised from the celebration went toward Alzheimers North Carolina as well as other local organizations.
The evolution of Oktoberfest is similar to that of St. Patrick’s Day in that both began as feasts and grew rapidly into world-recognized celebrations. Both are wildly popular in America, and both have histories that have been obscured by their massive popularity. Many people don’t know that St. Patrick was actually born in Britain, just as many don’t know of Oktoberfest’s beginnings as a wedding feast. But for many, it’s the spirit of the holidays that is most important.
Lisa Kremer, a senior studying communication – public relations, said that all countries add their own dimension to Oktoberfest. Originally from Bavaria, Kremer grew up in seven different countries and has seen the festival through many different cultural lenses.
“Even though the Oktoberfest these days is a lot different than its [origin], maybe that’s the point … bringing cultures together, celebrating and having a good time,” Kremer said.
Even within Germany, the festival is celebrated with regional diversity.
“In Stuttgart it is called Cannstatter Wasen…it goes back to 1818 and started out as an agricultural festivity and over time changed into a fair with nine big tents where people can celebrate, dance, eat and drink and fun rides like Ferris wheels,” said Fritzenschaft, who has attended the festivities in Munich and her own town. “The Oktoberfest in Munich is too crowded and very commercial. At the smaller ones, you not only have to pay less for everything, you have a better [view] over the fairground as well … if you want to have the real German experience, you should go to a smaller one.”
As far as the mystery of Oktoberfest starting in September, the answer is simple: German weather.
