10 Things you didn’t know about Oktoberfest
Next month is Oktoberfest, so to help you get into the spirit of this festival of merriment we’ve compiled a list of ten things you may not know about the event. Impress your mates with your keen sense of Germanic general knowledge as you toast your steins in a couple of months’ time:
- Although it’s generally associated with gallons of malt and more lederhosen than you can poke a pretzel at, Oktoberfest isn’t a party to commemorate the invention of German beer. In fact, the tradition began in 1810 when public celebrations were held annually (sans beer) to honour the nuptials of the Barvarian prince and princess!
- In 2015, Oktoberfest will turn 205—time to crack open the finest brew and bratwurst!
- Even though its name implies otherwise, Oktoberfest is celebrated in September in its country of origin.
- The beer consumed by German festival-goers is a special Munich brew that’s not for the faint hearted. It’s 1.3% stronger than the standard brew and an alcohol volume of up to a whopping 6%!
- Perhaps less surprisingly, given that they don’t actually celebrate the event in October, German festival-goers refer to the occasion as ‘Wiesn’.
- An astonishing 130 000 steins are reported missing each year—that’s a lot of thirsty thieves!
- Moderation doesn’t seem to feature in the vocabulary of Oktoberfest goers—an estimated 6.4 million litres of beer was drunk during previous celebrations.
- The service is a sight to behold at Oktoberfest with veteran bartenders taking a mere 1.5 seconds to fill up a litre stein.
- Oktoberfest always draws a large and varied crowd and controversial heiress Paris Hilton caused such a stir in 2006 with her attention-seeking antics that she now has a life ban from attending! It seems money can’t buy class ...
- Another famous face to grace the tents of Oktoberfest was Albert Einstein, who assisted with setting up a beer stall in 1896! It was probably a no brainer!
Oktoberfest is just around the corner!
Take part in the iconic cultural event by dressing up in one of Costume Crazy’s assorted, affordable yet excellent quality Oktoberfest costumes.
We have an outfit to bring a smile to everyone’s face, from quirky foam Beer Mug costumes (a perfect accompaniment to a frothy stein!), frilly Frauline frocks for the Barvarian babe or suspenders paired with a handy six-pack belt to store cold beers for the hunky Hansel who likes to be useful.
Prost!
