| Oktoberfest offers another opportunity in the | | | | specially prepared brews - would clean out the vats |
| calendar for a themed costume party. Originally a | | | | and use the thick brew as a bottled dark beer. Due |
| Bavarian custom, Oktoberfest has spread across | | | | to the way that these brews are made, they have a |
| Europe and the Rest of the World and is now | | | | limited availability and strong potency. Highly prized |
| celebrated globally.The origins of the Oktoberfest | | | | these are the true beers of Oktoberfest. |
| date back to the marriage of Prince Ludwig I to | | | | The food of Oktoberfest is the traditional bratwurst |
| Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on | | | | served either with brot (bread) or Kaiser rolls. |
| October 12, 1810. All of the residents of Munich were | | | | Bratwurst is always served with German mustard |
| invited to celebrate the marriage in the surrounding | | | | and is often accompanied by sauerkraut and/or |
| fields. The celebrations lasted five days and ended | | | | potato salad. Within Germany these are not foods |
| with a horse race.The following year the event was | | | | restricted to Oktoberfest but are widely enjoyed |
| repeated but based around an agricultural event. In | | | | throughout the year with bratwurst forming the basis |
| these early years the horse racing was the major | | | | of Germany's fast-food industry - although the |
| attraction but the popularity of the event grew and | | | | golden arches are becoming more |
| it became ritualized into the calendar. With this | | | | widespread.Throughout the remainder of Europe, |
| increased popularity came the growth in the drinking | | | | Oktoberfest is celebrated with special menus in |
| culture with the original small beer sellers being | | | | hotels and restaurants and is seen a fitting festival |
| replaced by larger beer tents towards the turn of | | | | with which to celebrate the natural beauty of the |
| the century. | | | | season. If you want to celebrate Oktoberfest with a |
| Oktoberfest today has evolved into the German | | | | costume party there are many outlets for German |
| festival to celebrate the changing of the seasons, | | | | food including the internet. Imported beers are |
| although the agricultural show has been retained on a | | | | available widely and if you find it hard to find |
| three yearly cycle and it has become a prominent | | | | bratwurst, then a simple BBQ of sausages will do just |
| celebration wherever a German community exists. | | | | as well. Decoration should be anything related to |
| The globalization of Oktoberfest is in line with the | | | | Autumn/Fall or if you wish to be fully correct then |
| globalization of trade which enables true German | | | | you could look up Munich on the web and see their |
| produce to be available either in store or easily via | | | | decoration colours (blue and white chequered flag) |
| the internet. With the need to drive consumers to | | | | and use these. Paper products make for easy |
| these products there has been a reason to export | | | | clean-up which will be required following your share of |
| local customs and festivals as well. Oktoberfest is | | | | the beer! There's no reason to miss out on the |
| linked to beer drinking and in major cities huge beer | | | | costume fun either as there are plenty of costumes |
| tents are erected to cope with the influx of revelers | | | | based on the traditional German lederhosen which |
| - around 6 million in recent years. Although these beer | | | | become increasingly popular during Oktoberfest. For |
| tents serve steins of light beer it is the darker beers | | | | ladies there are a number of traditional costumes as |
| that are more traditionally drunk during the closing | | | | well as German beer maids or tavern girl costumes. |
| months of the year.Production of these darker more | | | | Use lots of Oktoberfest paper party goods for |
| full bodied beers was traditionally linked to the period | | | | decoration and quick clean-up after the party ends. |
| when brewers - most large towns and cities have | | | | Oktoberfest is a fantastic example of a local festival |
| one or more local brewers producing their own | | | | gone global. |
