By Glenn Rigby
Beer? Check! Germany? Check! It sounds like you're ready for the world-renowned, phenomenon known as Oktoberfest.
This two-week festival in Munich, Bavaria is the world's largest fair. Every year, about 6 million people attend from around the world. Germany is known for its beer, and it is found in abundance at this famous event.
I've never been to Germany, so I have not experienced the awe-inspiring spectacle known as Oktoberfest. Friends of mine have gone. I am related to people who have been a part of the event. But, alas, I am not yet part of that club. Cities around the world hold their own smaller versions of the Munich original, and in Philadelphia the drinkers like to celebrate it, but it is not the same. Just look at this photo of the Löwenbräu tent at night!
This is one of 14 enormous tents set up every year for the fair. This particular tent seats 5,700 people inside, and 2,800 people outside. Above the entrance is a 15 foot lion who drinks from his beer.
Oktoberfest began as a commemoration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen in October 12, 1810. Many times over the course of the years Oktoberfest has been cancelled – whether the cause be plague, war, inflation, or other emergencies.
About 15% of the attendees are visitors from out of country. Many tourists are overwhelmed by the grandeur of the tents, the people, the dizzying amount of beer, and the overall atmosphere. Be careful not to drink too much! Every year, many people pass out due to drunkenness. These overly drunk people are often called "Bierleichen" (German for "beercorpses"). They are brought to a medical tent where drunks as well as sick people are treated.
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