The Munich Oktoberfest is the world’s largest folk festival and features beer and food tents, rides, a variey of stalls, and games. It takes place from mid-September to the first Sunday in October every year. In 2023, it runs from September 16 to October 3. Since everyone loves beer, the Oktoberfest celebration has spread all over the world in all sorts of variations.
History of the Munich Oktoberfest
Two stories surround the origin of the Munich Oktoberfest. The official version cites the wedding of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810, as the original celebration. The royal couple threw a party for the commoners to celebrate their union in a meadow outside Munich. People enjoyed it so much that it became an annual event. Subsequently, the meadow was named Theresienwiese in honor of Princess Therese, and the Munich Oktoberfest continues to be held there every year.
The German Beer Institute proposes a different story. It believes the festival dates back to the fifteenth century. Back then, the only way to refrigerate beer was to place it in a dark cellar or a snow-covered cave. Making beer in the summer would result in a funky brew. Therefore, Bavarians decided to brew it in the fall instead and store it during the winter. Every year, after harvesting the grain in October, they emptied the spring beer kegs and got ready for the fall brews.
Then Why is Oktoberfest celebrated in September?
To ready the kegs for the new brew, the Munich townsfolk drank the remaining spring beer at the end of September and the beginning of October. Since the weather was usually better in early fall, they chose September as the time to celebrate.
Which Beers are Served at the Munich Oktoberfest?
More than six million people worldwide flock to Munich annually to be part of the Oktoberfest and consume vast quantities of beer. Only beers that conform to the Reinheitsgebot (purity law) and are brewed within the city limits of Munich can be served. The law dates back to 1516 and limits the ingredients to water, barley, and hops.
The Vogel Jacob stall at the Munich Oktoberfest. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2006. www.walled-in-berlin. com
Which Breweries Serve Oktoberfest Beer?
Only six Munich breweries meet the purity law criteria: Augustiner Bräu, Hacker-Pschorr Bräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner, Spatenbräu, and Staatliches Hofbräu-München.
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