It’s that time of the year that we all know and love. The weather is changing (well for most of us) and festivals are on the horizon! There is one festival, in particular, that is highly anticipated every year, celebrated all over the world, and filled with history, food, music, and plenty of beer. Oktoberfest!

While Oktoberfest is one of the most well-known festivals around the world, many of us might not actually know the deep roots and history that come with it other than it started in Germany. Over the next couple of weeks, we will dive into the origins of Oktoberfest, the history of the widely known White and Blue Flag, and how America has adopted this beloved tradition today.

What Are the Origins of Oktoberfest?

While many of us see it as drinking delicious beer in beautifully decorated tents, the festival actually has royal origins. However, the time frame has been up for debate and has slightly changed over the years. So how Oktoberfest officially started is still a question in science and history.

While the official timeframe is up for debate, there are 2 main beliefs as to why Oktoberfest generally occurs mostly in September and October. Firstly, most Bavarians will tell you that the festival marked the celebrations of the 1810 wedding royal wedding and assumed that the official dates of the first Oktoberfest were between October 12th and 17th.

So why September? Well, the second belief is, as Oktoberfest became more visited and longer, the end date changed to the first Sunday of October. The festival went backward from then to allow visitors to enjoy better weather.

The First Oktoberfest

The first Oktoberfest was in 1810, celebrating a marriage between Crown Prince Ludwig I and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The marriage took place on October 12th, 1810. Over the years, a few swings and a carousel along with small stands serving beer and other refreshments started springing up along the Wies'n grounds.

While we might not know the exact dates of that very first festival, we do know that It happened in the fields in front of the Munich city gates. In honor of Princess Therese, they renamed the fields Theresienwiese. The name has stuck until modern times, although it is now often shortened to "Wies'n."

Part 2

Follow us into part 2 of our Oktoberfest series to learn more about the history White and Blue Flag, and how that became a staple in the festival that we know and love today!