In 1810, Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxony. They had a wedding party, the first Oktoberfest. Every year since then, with some exceptions due to war, epidemics and hyperinflation, people came back to drink a beer. But why?
I visited Oktoberfest to better understand what makes this German celebration so popular and durable. If someone tried to institute a modern-day version of Oktoberfest it would be simply absurd. Just imagine if the world were invited to Barack and Michele’s annual wedding bash. Or better yet, George and Martha Washington’s party. I decided the best way to achieve my goal would be to talk with locals and foreigners about their motivations for going to Oktoberfest.
After 10 minutes of walking around in Theresienwiese, or Therese’s meadow, I was deep inside a maze of tents, amusement rides and shops. While I was with a small group of friends, the landscape of signs I couldn’t read mixed with masses of people I didn’t know was a bit unsettling.
That feeling changed quickly once we got into the tents and started drinking beer. We spoke with nearly everyone immediately next to us. Many were from Munich or close by, but a significant number hailed from Spain, Australia, Scotland, the US and the Netherlands.
I quickly gathered from the non-Germans that drinking highly alcoholic beer by the liter is simply good fun. I can’t say I disagree with this point of view, but there definitely exists a more complex yet related social element of Oktoberfest.
Almost every non-German spoke with such a profound sense of optimism. They were excited by global ideals like peace, freedom and unity. Oktoberfest was their microcosm of that projected future. One especially inebriated Italian gentleman kept shouting “world peace” as he meandered around the 10,000 capacity Hofbrau tent. Even if it was just for a short period of time, there existed a general feeling that everything was going to be all right. People from all over the world gathered to drink and be happy about the future. No matter your race, creed or color, you were welcome. Every three to five minutes, entire tents containing thousands of people would erupt into song. The favorites were traditional German song “Ein Prosit” and surprisingly “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes.
One might ask, how does a person express any sort of well-thought-out ideas after a few drinks? It’s a good question. Based on my observations, I believe that after drinks other emotions were too complicated to express and the primal expression of optimism came through. The beer and optimism related because these people sought a place to express their optimism with others and used alcohol to get to the proper mind set.
The reasons for being at Oktoberfest are not uniform, however. Many Germans did pay homage to the historical aspect of the festival by dressing up in traditional dirndls and lederhosen. Only one person I talked to mentioned anything specifically about the wedding, however. The word “tradition” was thrown around more than a football on a Sunday. As one German explained it, by carrying on the tradition of Oktoberfest, Germans fulfill their responsibility to their elders.
My experience at Oktoberfest 2010 was incredibly enriching. The beer was awesome but more importantly, I was successful in my mission to better understand the 200-year-old celebration.
Ray Whitehouse is a Medill junior currently studying abroad in London. He can be reached at [email protected].
