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How Oktoberfest Was "Invented"
Halloween is not the only cause for celebration during the month of October. For those of German heritage, in particular, you can't think of the word "October" without thinking "Oktoberfest!"
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from the October 2007 issue of InventHelp's free newsletter for inventors |
While Oktoberfest today conjures images of beers and sausages, it was actually invented in honor of a wedding. The first Oktoberfest started on October 12, 1810, at the wedding of Bavaria's Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.
Going against the conventions of the time, the couple invited Munich's common people to the festivities. Forty thousand people showed up to help the happy couple celebrate. The next year, the couple decided to throw the party all over again to honor their one-year anniversary. And the rest is history.
By 1818, Oktoberfest boasted carousel rides, entertainment and, of course, makeshift beer and food stands. While beer had been invented long before Oktoberfest (see our previous InventHelp® Newsletter story for more on the invention of beer), there is a certain type of beer invented especially for Oktoberfest: Münchner Oktoberfestbier®, which is a strong, pale lager made by breweries in Munich.
All that beer is sure to work up an appetite, so there's plenty of German wurst (or sausage) to go around. While sausage has a reputation as a German food, it was invented in ancient times. Frugal butchers sought to put to use meat and animal parts that were edible and nutritious, but not particularly appealing (just use your imagination).
Weisswurst is the traditional sausage served at "Weisn" – as the locals call Oktoberfest – but dozens of other wursts are also served. Almost all wurst features pork (and sometimes beef or veal), spices, and peppercorns, but the other ingredients make each wurst distinctive. More than a thousand varieties of wurst exist, some being available everywhere and others are local specialties.
This year's Oktoberfest ended with a whole host of new records: 6.2 million visitors consumed 6.7 million liters of beer. During the 16-day festival, 104 oxen were devoured – two more than last year. Washed down with all the beer were plenty of sausages and pretzels too, as the organizers announced that overall food sales were up 10 percent.
But perhaps the strangest record of all is this: three sets of false teeth were lost at Oktoberfest #174 – two more than last year!
As a quick final tip: If you find yourself at Oktoberfest next year, you'll want to know how to say "cheers" with the locals. Just hold up your stein, and let out a hearty "Prost!" Happy Oktoberfest from InventHelp!
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