The Crown Prince Ludwig who later on became King Ludwig I on 12th October 1810 got married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Munich citizens were all invited to go for the celebrations which were held in the front of the city gates in commemoration of the happy royal event. The fields were later named Theresienwiese which when translated into English means ("Theresa's fields"). The fields were named Theresienwiese to honor the Crown Princess from that day. Locals have however shortened the name to "Wies'n." The event always officiated by the Royal Family ended with horse races. The festival was celebrated by the whole of Bavaria. The Oktoberfest tradition came about when the horse races were repeated in the subsequent years.
In 1811 an Agricultural Show was added to the horse races a move that aimed at improving the Bavarian agriculture. The horse which was at one point the oldest and most popular part of the festival does not take place anymore. The Agricultural Show still takes place every three years on Oktoberfest.
In the first decades, amusement choices were limited, in 1818 was when the first two swings and carousel were set up. Visitors drank at small beer stands that increased at a fast rate. In 1896 beer tents and halls replaced the beer stands that were set up by the locals with the help of breweries. A fun-fair replaced the remaining part of the festival. In the 1870s the fair went on growing and developing.
Up to today, Oktoberfest is the biggest world festival in the world. About six million people from all over the world attend Oktoberfest. It is still usually held in Theresienwiese, and the locals still call the event "Wies'n." Therefore “Welcome to Wies'n” means “welcome to Oktoberfest.”
How Oktoberfest is celebrated
Oktoberfest is currently a worldwide phenomenon which celebrates Bavarian culture with flowing beer. It runs for 16 days and the last day should be the first Sunday of October. If the last 16 days are before 3rd October, the festival will last either 17 or 18 days. People celebrate Oktoberfest all over the world, but the main event is normally in Munich, Germany which is the place where the first Oktoberfest was held. The opening day of the festival is usually full of people in different costumes, colorful carriages that wind through the Munich streets. The festival officially starts with the mayor of Bavaria saying "O' zapft is!" that translates to “it’s tapped.” The first person to take the beer is usually Minister-President of the state of Bavaria.
People normally associate Oktoberfest with beer although the traditions of the festival go beyond that. The beer tents do provide tents, and they also play only Bavarian music. The original six Munich breweries are still the ones that provide the beer. People also put on the traditional Bavarian clothing, lederhosen, and dirndls. Some of the traditional Oktoberfest foods include Brezen (pretzels), Schweinebraten (roast pork), Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), Roast Chicken, Sauerkraut, Schweinshaxe (roasted ham hock), and Würstl (sausages). They are all associated with the Bavarian culture. No one would ask you any question if they found you taking a beer shower. Beer is not the only drink served there is usually plenty of wine also. The festival is not for people who do not like beer. Oktoberfest is also open to families since Oktoberfest is a fun-fair and is celebrated with fun, love, and happiness.
A similar event to Oktoberfest
The Palmares Fiestas in Costa Rica (Palmares) is quite huge, and it attracts an estimated one million people which is a fifth of the population of Costa Rica yet it is only a few years old. It has a carnival mood and usually takes place from January 13th -25th. It is a colorful celebration of music, culture, dance and Costa Rican cuisine. The beer consumption at Palmares rivals that of Oktoberfest and internationally Palmares is known as a giant beer fest and has a reputation for getting a little rowdy. The festival is sponsored by a Costa Rican beer label known as Imperial. In 2015, after the festival ended about 620,000 beer cans were collected (Fendt & Zúñiga, 2016).
Another popular event at Palmares Festival is the horse parade. Horses are a huge attraction during the festival, and many of the people in the rural areas own equines, and there are many ranches, and farms close by from which festival goers come with horses and show them off proudly during the celebrations. The horse parade is also known as the tope, and the festival goers show off their horse skills while dressed in cowboy and track apparel. There are also bands that perform and bull-fighting is a huge attraction.
There is also an amusement park for adrenaline lovers where they can partake in fairground activities and also rides. The Palmares festival would not be complete without food and drink. In every corner, there are food stalls that sell traditional Costa Rican foods which include curly fries, chicken wings, pinchos, chilera, and grilled chicharones and meat. There are also sweet treats such as shredded mango, churros, candy apples and traditional pastries.
References
Fendt, L., & Zúñiga, A. (2016, January 12). 5 things to know about Costa Rica's gigantic Palmares Festival. Retrieved April 13, 2018, from http://www.ticotimes.net/2016/01/13/5-things-to-know-about-costa-ricas-gigantic-palmares-festival-3
Oktoberfest 2018 in Munich. Everything about the world's biggest fair | Oktoberfest.de - The Oktoberfest Website. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2018, from https://www.oktoberfest.de/en/
