Albert Einstein was one of the hundreds of thousands
of young people to have earned 'pocket money' by working at the Oktoberfest. In 1908, aged 17, he screwed in some of the first electric light bulbs for one of the festival's tents.2.96 million kWh of electricity is used during a present day Oktoberfest, which would serve the needs of a four person family for 52 years.
Still a typically Bavarian celebration the first Oktoberfest was a horse race with no connection to beer, held on October 17th 1810 on the fields in front of the city gates, to commemorate the marriage five days previously of Crown Prince Ludwig, later King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The fields were named Theresa's fields, Theresienweise, now known as "Weisn", and the festivities were repeated one year later with an agricultural show, as well as the original horse race which then signaled the end of the festival and was a custom that continued until 1960.
After the traditional Saturday procession to Theresienwiese, which is led by the Mayor of Munich together and the city's symbol Muenchner Kindl, with landlords, breweries, showmen, and their flower decorated horses and carriages and accompanying brass bands, a twelve gun salute around noon indicates that the first "Oktoberfest keg tapping" of the year has taken place. When that keg is tapped, hopefully with only one strike, although the minimum so far is two, Munich's mayor will shout 'O'Zapft is!, It's tapped, Oktoberfest can begin and the beer can flow.
Oktoberfest Beer, Wiesn Maerzen, has only four ingredients, barley, hops, malt, and yeast, and has to be brewed within the city limits of Munich. Only six Munich Breweries are allowed to serve at the Oktoberfest beer halls and small tents and food stalls throughout the Oktoberfest grounds and they are Augustiner, Hacker Pschorr, Hofbrau, Loewenbraeu, Paulaner, and Spaten.
Maerzen Bier, "March Beer", is brewed in the spring and has a higher
alcohol content as originally the ingredients were adjusted to allow it to "keep" through the warm weather, as stipulated by the 16th century Bavarian purity law. At the end of September the casks were emptied so they could be filled with fresh beer from the newly harvested grain and hops, which because of the colder temperature did not deteriorate quickly, while the timing meant the concept of local autumn beer fests, and ultimately Oktoberfest, came about. The first time beer was served in the traditional glass mug was 1892, and Oktoberfest beer in the tents is only served full strength in a 1 liter, 2 pint, 'Mass', and you have to be seated to drink. No seat means no drink.
Originally Oktoberfest did take place in October, but the date was changed in the mid 1800's to take advantage of Bavaria's mild late September weather. Also around this time it was lengthened to sixteen days, up to and including the first Sunday in October. After German reunification this was changed in 1994, and now when the first Sunday in October falls on the 1st or 2nd, the festival continues until October 3, 'German Unity Day', making it 17 or 18 days long.
The tents seat from 3 to 8 thousand people or more, with the 14 large beer tents seating a total of almost 80,000 people, however calling them 'Tents' is something of an understatement. Large solid structures each around the area of a soccer pitch, with the height of a three or four storied building, they take over two months to erect and not much less to dismantle.
A Dirndl, consisting of a bodice, blouse, full skirt, and apron, is the traditional German dress often worn for Oktoberfest, and the position of the bow or knot can signify a woman's marital status. A bow on the left indicates being single - a bow on the right means she is married, engaged, or taken - a bow in the front/middle indicates a virgin - while a bow tied on the back means she is widowed.
A few carousels and swings first appeared in 1818 but now
Luna Park is Oktoberfest's Fun Fair, a huge atmospheric mixture of traditional and modern with over 80 rides and everything from a 164 foot Ferris Wheel, roller coasters and street performers to houses of mirrors and horrors and a flea circus.Together with all the other food and drink that is consumed by the about seven million Oktoberfest visitors each year, such as wine, Reiberdatschi, potato pancakes, Kasspatzn, cheese noodles, and cotton candy they also get through approximately 7,100,000 liters of beer, 506,000 chickens, 120,000 pairs of sausages, 81,000 pounds fish, 70,000 pork knuckles, Haxen, and 120 oxen, each of which has a name.
The Bavarian dialect is under normal circumstances not one of the easiest to understand, often having little relationship to 'everyday German', and the addition of alcohol makes sure that during Oktoberfest it is even more difficult.
There is a 'Wiesn' dictionary for none Bavarians, which can be downloaded to an iPhone, and contains most of the words/pronunciation you are likely to need. Including:
Biddscheen.......'Please', or 'Here you are', when someone is serving or giving something
Fingahackln......A Bavarian sport, and popular activity at the Oktoberfest where two men, who might not even know each other, hook their middle fingers and try to pull the opponent over the table
Namidog..........'afternoon', which is normally after 1.00 pm
Mingga...........'Munich'
Biafuizl............'the beer mat used by the server as a note pad where the dashes indicate the quantity of beer ordered and to be paid'
Ogschdocha.......'tipsy' and
Nimma...............'no more'
Amongst the yearly average of 4,000 Lost and Found items found over the years have been Superman suits, a pet rabbit with a collar, and an intoxicated dachshund, both of which were claimed by their owners, real hair wigs, a set of diving goggles, a pair of angel wings and a considerable collection of false teeth, together with the usual rings, wallets, phones, reading glasses, phones, cameras and various items of clothing etc.
The tents at Oktoberfest are now basically 'no smoking zones' in line with the various smoking bans that are in place throughout Germany, however, although it is probably better for the health of those in the tents, there are also several side effects. One is that leaving the tent to smoke outside could mean you are not allowed back in, and another that, as it is no longer cloaked by the smoke from all those cigarettes, cigars and pipes, the smell of stale beer spilled on the floor can be quite powerful.
This is not a problem in the special Bavarian Red Cross Medical Tent. There about 100 volunteer medics and doctors wait for their 'customers' every day, ready to deal with everything from general medical treatment to the Bierleichen, 'Beer corpses', the term used for people passing out due to having enjoyed rather too much of that years "Wiesn Maerzen", Oktoberfest's special brew.
Oktoberfest at Night courtesy BAYERN TOURISMUS Bildarchiv, Mass krug courtesy German Beer Institute, Flea Circus at the Oktoberfest, photographer Usien, courtesy de.Wikipedia
Exactly like the ones at the Munich Oktoberfest, this is a genuine 1 Liter HB "Hofbrauhaus Munchen" Dimpled Glass Beer Stein
And here you will find the Oktoberfest "Masskrug" or Mass krug with the traditional Hacker-Pschorr logo, 1 Liter Hacker-Pschorr Glass Beer Stein
All the Songs Together With the Atmosphere of Oktoberfest In München. Great for your collection or just to enjoy, it cannot be bettered.
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