Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany kicks off tomorrow! It runs for 2 weeks, during which time upwards of 6 million people will drink around 2 million gallons of beer!
Oktoberfest started in October 1810 as a celebration of the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria. All the citizens of Munich were invited to the festivities, which were held on the fields in front of the city gates. The celebration included a large feast, parade, and horse races. It was so popular that they decided to repeat it the following year and the tradition of Oktoberfest was born.
In 1818, booths serving food and drink were introduced. Today, there are 17 large and 21 small beer tents at Oktoberfest. The largest can accommodate 10,000 people! Only beer brewed within the city limits of Munich can be served, and it must adhere to German Purity Laws. These laws date back to 1516 and state that beer can only be made with 4 ingredients: water, malt, hops, and yeast. Only 6 breweries serve their beer at Oktoberfest.
There are many other Oktoberfest celebrations around the world. The largest outside of Germany is in Qingdao, China with around 3 million visitors every year. Kitchener, Canada and Blumenau, Brazil also have huge Oktoberfests. The largest here in the states is held every year in Cincinnati, with more than 500,000 visitors annually.
Learn more here.