Living in the 21st century has its own perks, such as exploring old and traditional customs and values of other people. Any culture and tradition in today’s world is a composite mixture of conventional clothes, respectable customs, and valuable traditions. 

Do you want to explore every bit of traditional customs and events of German culture? If you also manifest about the traditional customs, foods and celebration of the Oktoberfest event then you have landed on the right page. 

Our blog specifically covers the significant aspects of German culture. We do our best to preserve and document people’s interests, traditional food and many other fun aspects and stories about Oktoberfest events. 

Let’s start digging in this Oktoberfest’s Munich Guide.

What is Oktoberfest? 

Oktoberfest is one of the biggest traditional German festivals, born in Munich in the 19th century; this customary event has grown worldwide respect over the last two centuries. 

In this part of the guide, you will able to explore the all significant past and present aspects of this interesting German celebration. After reading till the end, we are sure, you will be able to explore the Bavarian feast with your friends. 

Continue reading this small and comprehasive Oktoberfest guide and be ready to take part in this year’s celebrations. 

History of Oktoberfest in Germany _ Origin Story 

Although Oktoberfest has gained immense worldwide recognition the original story behind these celebrations is also known by few outside of Munich. The first ever Oktoberfest was celebrated two hundred years ago on the marriage between Princess Therese of Saxe Hildburghausen and Crown Prince Ludwig 1 in 1810. 

Festivities of this union started on 12th October in front of the Munich gate for all the Bavarians. The fields, in which the festivities happened, were named Thereseins Wiese in honour of the newly married princess. This name is still abbreviated on the walls of Munich fields; you can also hear this name from many locals referring to Oktoberfest and the fields of celebration. 

Due to its growing popularity and insane festivity celebrations, Oktoberfest became an annual German festival. With multiple entertainment options and offerings manually added to this celebration, Oktoberfest continues to grow yearly. 

In the 1900s, hundreds of tents and beer halls were made over the Wiese’n grounds. However the immense popularity of Oktoberfest does not stop here, at the end of the 1900s, this traditional Munich festival gained popularity worldwide. With the addition of some new traditions in the 1950s, including Munich’s mayor kick-starting the yearly celebration with the iconic phrase “O’Zapft is”, meaning “it is trapped”. Till today's date, vendors cannot set their beer stalls on the grounds of Wiese before the mayor accomplished this tradition.

September Oktoberfest

Unlike its name, this annual festivities take place mainly in September. Back to two hundred years ago, Oktoberfest used to occur in mid-October but today’s date, its festivities start from mid-September till the start of October. This year, the celebration of the Munich festival will start on 17th September 2024 and last till 3rd October 2024. 

Many questions and hands were raised over time for the explanation of Oktoberfest in September but in the words of many locals, it has always been the same. The most reliable and realistic answer to this question is that officials of Munich have pushed Oktoberfest festivities in mid-September to avoid harsh weather. 

Although pushing the celebrations in September, Oktoberfest still catches the start of October. Whether you want to take part in September celebrations or in October festivities, there are always plenty of fêtes to look forward to… 

Traditional German Outfits & Oktoberfest Root Beer _ A Delightful Family Day 

There are adequately hundreds of ways to celebrate this traditional festival with your family and friends. Apart from its worldwide popularity for root beers, Bavarian leather outfits and tents, Oktoberfest has much more to offer than that. 

Harvesting the fields and lining the festival grounds of Bavaria, there are plenty of games and rides to explore. Between participating in games and devouring Oktoberfest traditionally, there is always a fun activity for people of all ages to interact with. 

From carnival games to mystery houses, rollercoasters, ferry wheels, slides, beer hunting and much more, Oktoberfest is the name of jumping from one attraction to another all day long. 

In today’s date, Old Wies’n has maintained its traditional customs and attractions to reflect the mainstay of Oktoberfest traditions from the past. Don’t worry; there are always fun rides and classic slides available for younger children on the grounds of Wies’ns. 

Oktoberfest rides and attractions are not expensive at all. Charging 1 Euro for one activity, this traditional Bavarian festival offers great family fun exposure. In recent decades, it has become a ritual that Oktoberfest runs three out of a year continuously and the fourth year is replaced by the Bavarian traditional festival. 

Check out the dates and Bavarian calendar beforehand before booking your tickets. 

Renowned foods in the history of Oktoberfest in Germany

Apart from activities and fun games, there is always a list of traditional Oktoberfest food to try. Various street vendors gather in the fields of Munich to offer a traditional taste of German fast food. There are some popular street foods including large pretzels, roasted chicken, homemade cheese & candies and traditional Hendl that are worth giving a shot. 

There are some delicious must-try food options to try at the grounds of Munich. Whether you love fast food or looking for a proper dine-in meal, there is always something to meet your needs. Read up on this Oktoberfest Munich guide on traditional German food to make your food-hunting easy. 

If you don’t want to miss out on activities and rides but surely need something to eat then Leberkease and Currywurst are great choices to devour. 

Leberkease is a traditional Bavarian-style meatloaf with a combination of many mild spices. There are many traditional ways to devour this meatloaf but in the fields of Munich, you will find it in the form of a roll with a little bit of mustard and siraccha on the side. 

Currywurst is another traditional German Oktoberfest treat. It is a sausage completely covered in a spicy curry with a side of crunchy fries. Although it is not a Munich dish but definitely a huge crowd-pleaser during the festivities. It serves as a comfort food for couples who enjoy it with root beer.

Don’t worry, apart from quick grab-a-bite options, there are many other restaurants that are serving traditional Oktoberfest lunches and dinners with deep-rooted beer. Among every other dish, Hendl is the chief of every traditional item. Not so fancy, it is just steam-roasted chicken served with vegetables but it is a unique and staple dish throughout the Oktoberfest festivities. 

Traditional Bavarian & Oktoberfest Style Clothing Lederhosen

Do you know what the proper clothing is for men and women? In the history of Oktoberfest in Bavarian Dirndls is the specific clothing style for women of all ages and lederhosen are styled for men. 

 

If a woman wants to get down with some German traditional and fork culture then wearing dirndl is the best option. In Bavarian culture, dirndl means a dress suitable for both girls and women to wear on the Oktoberfest festivities. Dirndl consists of different clothing layers and can be styled with different accessories including embroidered hats, shoes, heels, necklaces and waistbands. 

The different clothing layers of dirndl include 

  • The bodice or “meider” in German
  • A stylish puffy sleeves blouse usually in white colour
  • The frock and skirt come in three different lengths, above the knee to achieve a mini skirt look, below the knee for a midi and all the way down to the ankles to complete traditional Bavarian style. 
  • Women wear an apron on above the skirt which is tied with a ribbon on both sides. The ribbon represents the availability of the wearer such as the knot tied on the right representing a woman who is ready to elope or single, the knot at the front meaning she is a virgin and at the back representing she is either a widow or a working mother.  

Like women, men also wear Bavarian-style traditional costumes on the Oktoberfest known as lederhosen. 

The traditional authentic lederhosen is all about leather pants or leather three-quarter pusher pants with a buttoned flap peepee at the front, a little bit of brace set up, a shirt tucked up into the pants, with embroidered hats & trachten jackets and long knee leather boots. Yes, this is all men’s Bavarian-style lederhosen. But there is far more to explore in the lederhosen category than this unflattering flaky description. 

  • Lederhosen is traditionally a deer skin or chamois skin leather outfit. These outfits often have embroidery of animals showing authority.
  • Oktoberfest shirts are long hem, puffy sleeves, checkered, collared and button-up shirts. For men, the colour of the shirt is up to them, they can wear any colour to style it with leather pants. 
  • Men often wear suspenders on their outfits that hold their pants up. In the middle of the chest, there is always room to add design flair to complete a nerd-chic look. 
  • Shoes and socks are also another important part of the trachten. Long woolly socks with funky design with little shoes/long boots will give you a complete traditional Bavarian style look.

The Importance of Lederhosen on Oktoberfest 

Unlike other traditional activities, food and traditions, wearing lederhosen is a chief among other Oktoberfest traditions. In the past decades, lederhosen has morphed into the celebratory clothing piece that signifies the importance of festivals across Bavaria. Wearing a nice pair of lederhosen, dirndl, trachten can help you to fit in the German customs and look your best while celebrating old times. 

It is a considerable challenge to find a nice pair of lederhosen, dirndl, and trachten with all other necessary accessories at a fair price. Most of the time people fall for outfits that are not purely made of Bavarian goat leather and also come in the wrong colours. 

A proper Oktoberfest outfit should be made of 100% pure Bavarian goat leather and come in different shades of brown. If you are sticking to a budget then pricing can be a huge problem. Some people with very little knowledge about leather and traditional costumes spend hundreds and thousands of dollars only to buy the wrong pair of shorts or skirts. 

If you are looking forward to getting your hands on some amazing tradition-led outfits to wear on this Oktoberfest festivities then visit our Oktoberfest Outfits online store. At our store, you can find affordable traditional Oktoberfest costumes at very affordable prices with all other accessories needed to complete the German Bavarian look. 

P.S: don’t forget to look at the size guide before ordering your lederhosen. 

What Mistakes You Should Avoid at Oktoberfest?

Despite being the most fun festivity in the history of Bavaria, Germany, there are a few things that you should be careful about, consider this as important Oktoberfest tips. There are a few common mistakes to avoid during partying at the Oktoberfest tents. With a little bit of consideration and precaution, you can have the best time of your life during the festivities at Wies’n. 

Many visitors make the same mistakes while getting into the traditional Oktoberfest beer tents. Rather than ruining your day in the afternoon and evening rush, make sure to secure a seat at the beer tents at noon. If you don’t want to get yourself banned from entering Oktoberfest festivities then don’t try to bribe the guard outside the beer tents. 

Pick up a pen and notes or take a screenshot because you are going to need this reminder. Do not drink root beer empty stomach or don’t drink too much because Oktoberfest has a unique brew that is much stronger than regular beer. With the slightest extra dose of beer, you will be out drunk and miss all important and fun activities. 

Another huge and common mistake that people make Oktoberfest festival is spending all day in the beer tents. We all know beer tents are keystone to the traditional festivities but Oktoberfest is much more about getting drunk. Roam around the fields, indulge with the crowd, listen to old folk stories, engage with locals and learn more about German traditions, Bavarian customs and Oktoberfest festivities.

Â