{"id":56719,"date":"2024-09-25T14:00:30","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T21:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bcaletrail.ca\/?p=56719"},"modified":"2024-09-25T15:21:18","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T22:21:18","slug":"from-tradition-to-celebration-the-history-of-oktoberfest-and-local-events-to-toast-the-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bcaletrail.ca\/from-tradition-to-celebration-the-history-of-oktoberfest-and-local-events-to-toast-the-season\/","title":{"rendered":"From Tradition to Celebration: The History of Oktoberfest and Local Events to Toast the Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

School\u2019s back in session and it\u2019s also harvest season. So what better time to give you a quick history lesson on every beer fan\u2019s favourite time of year, Oktoberfest!<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll try not to bore you with too many details and, if you\u2019re impatient, you can just skip to the end and find out about the best Oktoberfest celebrations in BC. But I must warn you, if you do that, you may be robbing yourself of some important Oktoberfest knowledge that could come in handy over the next couple of weeks. You wouldn\u2019t want to get caught with your lederhosen down when your friends at the Wiesn<\/em> yell \u201cOans, zwoa, drei, g\u2019suffa<\/em>!\u201d*<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ozapft
Ozapft is! Mayor Dieter Reiter taps the first barrel of beer to open the 189th Oktoberfest on September 21, 2024 (photo: Michael Nagy\/Presseamt M\u00fcnchen)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While we in North America often think of Oktoberfest as a two-week-long bender in the streets of Germany filled with people in silly costumes, the reality is a bit more nuanced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It all started way back in 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen had a Bavarian royal wedding. It was the first royal wedding held in Munich in almost a century, making it a particularly special occasion. But it was also a chance for the newly formed Kingdom of Bavaria <\/span>(est. 1806) <\/span>to demonstrate its National pride.<\/span><\/p>\n

As with any good wedding, when the ceremony is over you need to celebrate with\u2026 a horse race? Okay, remember, this is 1810. They did things a little differently. They also celebrated with music, a free opera, a play, and, of course, beer. This folk festival was held in the meadow outside the city gates in an area that was renamed Theresienwiese<\/em> (Theresa\u2019s Fields) to honour the princess. That name still stands today but has been abbreviated by locals to Wiesn<\/em>, which is what they also use to refer to modern-day Oktoberfest. <\/span><\/p>\n

I told you you\u2019d learn some great facts!<\/span><\/p>\n