Oktoberfest Celebrations at Home and Abroad

Good food, great drink, merriment and friendship might be closer this fall than you think.

(PRWEB) September 13, 2004 -- Have you ever wanted to go abroad to partake in the Oktoberfest ceremonies? Something similar might be closer than you think. In North America many places celebrate this joyous occasion each fall. Addison, Texas, Cullman, Alabama, Fairfield Bay, Wisconsin, and Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, name just a few. Everyone is getting into the act. Companies mass produce tents, coasters, hats, streamers, glasses, t-shirts, and every sort of thing you can imagine connected with this festival. Breweries make special lagers reminiscent of the rich red German originals in kegs by the thousands. From the cuckoo clock makers who feature moving beer drinkers dressed in traditional Bavarian style clothing to German costume dolls and nutcrackers, the souvenirs are all about this happy festivity.

The German celebration of Oktoberfest is the largest public festival in the world and is rich in tradition. The first celebration was held on October 12, 1810 in honor of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. The fields where the festivities took place were called Thereienwiese meaning Theresa fields, and today are still called die Wiesn in her memory.

Through the years, Oktoberfest has grown in more ways than one. People love nothing more than a reason to make merry, and what better way to honor the memory of a beloved sovereign than to celebrate?

In the years to come, the festival was moved back to mid September, so that people could enjoy outdoor celebrations longer into the evening due to more favorable weather conditions. This year in Germany Oktoberfest begins on September 18, and tradition holds that the first weekend in October marks the end of the festivities. In North America, most ceremonies are held during October, but vary depending on location.

Somewhere between 6 and 7 million visitors are expected to enjoy the Bavarian event this year; some 5 million liters of beer and 400 thousand bratwurst sausages will have been consumed by its end.

If you love German festivals, oompah bands, beer and foods, but are unable to travel abroad, you can find information on events in your own country right at your fingertips through internet searches. Good food, great drink, merriment and friendship might be closer this fall than you think. From the Kitchener-Waterloo area in Canada, to Fredericksburg, Texas, Oktoberfest traditions are alive and well right near your own back yard.

Debbie Minter

Cuckoo Clocks Direct

http://www.cuckooclocksdirect.com

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