The world is getting smaller as we all swap traditions, habits, celebrations and feast from all over the world. Blogsphere is one place to pick up ideas as we get aquatinted with other blog friends and learn their habits. The tendency to a more global economy is another way to share and obtain the same. Last week I was invited to an Oktoberfest and of course I’ll share it with you – again with some pics as I had my Nokia mobile phone handy.
We were invited by Netprint, our printing services provider and the evening was well planned in every detail. To get us in the right mood, there was a brass band playing in front of the building (click all pics to blow up and enjoy!):
Here is a video I took with my mobile phone if you would like to get in the spirit (click and enjoy while you read on!):
You know I enjoy digging into the details and learning something new as I post and as always, I love to share some with you:
Oktoberfest? Notice the word, the spelling and the meaning:
The first Oktoberfest was held in Munich in the year 1810 in honour of the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festivities began on October 12, 1810 and ended on October 17th with a horse race. In the years that followed, the celebrations were repeated and later, the festival was prolonged and moved forward into mid September.
Moving the festivities up, allowed of course for better weather conditions. Because the September nights were warmer, the visitors were able to enjoy the gardens outside the tents and the stroll over “die Wiesen” or the fields much longer without feeling chilly. Obviously, the last Oktoberfest weekend was in October and this tradition continues into present times.
With a bit of adjustment and local creativeness, our excellent Netprint hosts, brought us this celebration:
Entering the party room (the buildings garage!) we where greeted with servants in traditional German (Update from Gattina: Bavarian) clothes and each got a Seidel beer glass. (Me left –Edgar to the right).
In the beer cellar: Me and colleagues: Irene our receptionist and our Marketing Director: Edgar Valdmanis. (taken by the host CEO with a pro camera).
Nicely set up table with appropriate decorations including wall posters of the German countryside. Let the party with lots of “cheering” begin:
Left: Snaps and Beer. Right: Real Oktoberfest food: Bratwurst, Sweinehaxe, Sauerkraut and potatoes. It all tasted deliciously good!
I assume most of you have heard about Oktoberfest and now you know a bit more of the background. We are talking about the results of the growing season ending in the autumn. The grain is harvested and its time to make beer – a lot and of course its time for a big celebration. Just like the Vikings did thousands of year before. Remember that centuries ago this was a way of preserving the grain and putting it to good use. Although rumours say they played real tough; Don’t believe all of them – ‘When the going gets tough… the tough get going’, you know :lol:
So have you been to an Oktoberfest or taken part in a celebration or tradition that comes from another part of the world? I’d like to hear about it.
Now I’m hungry and thirsty. Have fun. Big hug to you and Diane. :)
RennyBA
So we count you in next year then! Hugs back from both us us. :)
Ah, you should see me in my dirndl!!!!! I look positively “Bavarian”! Hubby also has lederhosen and we make quite the pair. What fun it looks like, Renny! And I love your hat!
RennyBA
Glad you know how it ‘taste’ like them – I’m sure you both looked great!
And I’m sure they kept that huge beer stein full, didn’t they? LOL! ;-)
The sausages and other food looks delicious, and I’m sure you all had a great time.
Love and hugs,
Diane
RennyBA
Yea, they poured the stein all the time :lol:
It was – I just loved the food!
Hugs back and wish you a great week.
great music Renny…and I love the hats :)
RennyBA
Glad you liked it Kim… and the hats too :)
here, oktoberfest just got longer celebration for 120 days! lots of beer on day one. hope to meet you over a bottle or two of beer someday :P
RennyBA
Woooow, what a long celebration!
I do agree: One day we just have to meet :P
Oh I remember a friend of mine was in Germany during Oktoberfest, and for some reason he felt very ill the next day…
Interesting photos and everyone looks as if they’re enjoying themselves. Skol!
RennyBA
I’m sure he had a great time, but of course the day after is a bit hard :)
Glad you enjoyed. Skål or maybe Prost!
PLEASE PLEASE don’t talk about TRADITIONAL GERMAN clothes ! they are NOT ! It’s only Bavarian. If you tell that to the rest of Germany especially from Hamburg and Berlin, they will kill you, lol !! It gets on our nerves that wherever you go Germans are represented with Bavarian customs !!
RennyBA
Thanks for letting me know and pointing this out Gattina – I’ve updated!
OooOOOoooOOoooh darn it! I WISH the mail would hurry UP and DELIVER me!!!!!!!! That beer looks delicious and my cups are so PARCHED!
:)
RennyBA
This is a typical occasion where I’m missing you – so I run to the mailbox every morning!!!!
My first Oktoberfest was in the US while in college! I have been to the real one in Munich although I don’t drink beer ( anymore, a college-years’ side effect!!).
I am married to a German but I have never seen him or his family wearing those clothes! Like Gattina mentioned above, it’s only in Bavaria and that’s a small part of the country , in the “deep South” – they make themselves very noticeable as they aren’t shy!
RennyBA
Woow, been to the real one: bet it was fun even if you don’t drink beer.
I’m glad Gattina made me aware of that and have updated of course!
Yes with globalisation Oktoberfest is celebrated all over the world not just in Germany.
I remembered I attend the festival in Munich during my honeymoon (1990) and it was so interesting to be sitting in the pub with all the drinking and merry-making. Absolutely fantastic.
Have a good time Renny :D
RennyBA
So you’ve been to the real one too – sounds like you had a great time too.
You too Shionge :D
Great post Renny – as always,
Thanks for the history lesson.
Best regards, Edgar (pictured above)
RennyBA
Thanks Edgar, your a great colleague and always so supportive.
i grew up in a heavily german areaand my family is german but oktoberfest was not something we observed. i think it became more popular in areas that thought they could draw tourists with it. well, that and the german settlers in my home area came over about a century before the first oktoberfest as well so it’s not a celebration they’d have brought with them. also, because of WW2 and not wanting to be seen as nazi sympathizers, the german heritage was very much downplayed in the 20th century until around the time I was a child. i did not know when the first oktoberfest was or why it happened until i read this post so i have learned something today. thanks!
RennyBA
Thanks so very much Lime, for sharing your experience and very interesting observation. It really enriches the subject in this post and I learned something too!
Hey Renny,
Very interesting! You advised us to noticed the way Oktoberfest was written: I did, Oktober = October, Fest= feast (I am learning Deutsch)..so it wasn’t too hard to understand :).
You guys did have fun, I can tell by the photos :D!
The only thing I’d eat from that plate is the sauerkraut, since I don’t eat pork.
You ask if I have ever participated in a festival from another country, well yes, when I participated in the Expo’08 here in Lisbon – I worked in the Mozambican pavilion and participated in their Expo festivities. I also went to Senegalese and Nigerian feasts there…it was interesting, but I was a bit disappointed because they didn’t bring their food, only art objects and such and theatre plays.
I also went to a Spanish feast once where I tasted several dishes: paella, clams with herbs, their tortillas, their several plates done with eggs (they use a lot of eggs) etc…
Thanks for having taken me down the memory lane! :D
Cheers
RennyBA
Yea, and you know what: Its spelled the same way in Norwegian where fest means ‘party’.
Thanks for sharing your experience too – great examples of that we are sharing traditions from all over the world as the world is getting smaller, day by day.
Your welcome Max! :D
That looks like great fun! It wasn’t until I first ate at an authentic German restaurant how German influenced our family meals had been.
RennyBA
Good to know you are more aware of it now then and I think German food is great.
I’m sure you had a blast, judging from the photos! I’d love to go to one in Bavaria. That really would be something! Oktoberfest is my kind of event! *giggles*
What have you been up to else? I haven’t seen you in so long time now, had to check and yes: 5th of October was the last comment dated. So, you’re having really busy times and no time for us poor bloggers hah?
RennyBA
I do agree with you so maybe we should make a Oktoberfest together in Blogsphere!
To all:
I’m sorry!! The fall is an especially busy season so I haven’t had as much time as usual. Besides, I must admit I have been in a bit of a slump and have had a hard time finding inspiration. You may have noticed that my posts are not as often either. Other than that, I am fine!
Nice hat, yummy food!
It’s good to have something to brighten up October!
RennyBA
Your so right and of course we need refresher moving towards a colder and darker winter season. That’s why we’ve taken this chance to celebrate the harvest since the Viking period in Norway.
Oktoberfest was last weekend in Waterloo (a couple hours away from Toronto). From what I hear, it’s the second largest Oktoberfest outside Germany.
RennyBA
Interesting. I know there is a lot of Germans in North America, so it makes sense.
I hear that too Teena. Our town has a German Canadian Club and they used to do a huge festival right here. The whole town got involved. But now the German Canadian Club does a toned-down celebration.
Now I miss Germany…… :(
RennyBA
Thanks for sharing from Canada too Lyn – hope they pick up the spirit again soon then.
We have October festivals and harvest fests all over Arkansas. With singing, dancing, food, and games. Looks like you guys had a great time, and I really enjoyed learning about the real Oktoberfest!
RennyBA
Yea, Harvest Festivals are made everywhere and everyone makes fun in their own way. Glad you could learn something from my post too – that’s what aim for you know!
I am really hungry and really thirsty now. It sounds like a great time.
BTW, just a reminder, I still need the button up for the final SB approval.
RennyBA
Hope you have some nice to eat and drink at hand then :)
The button is up now Mel.
Am I there yet?!?! Maybe I got hijacked by one of the pesky Norwegian Beavers Speedy was telling me about!?!!?
Yes Renny, even in Yulsa Oklahoma USA there is a German-American club and an Oktoberfest that grows every year with food, dancing, and lots of beer. A favorite is the Chicken Dance, do you know it? I will go next year and take pictures, it would make a nice post. Thank you for your wonderful blog.
That looks like a lot of fun. I’ve never been to an Oktoberfest. Too much beer! ;-)
Hej Renny! Been a while. Fantastic pictures! Those 1 liter beer mugs make me wanna grab a beer!
We’ve had a few local Oktoberfests in Romania, but I think we’ve only kept the general idea (beer and lots of meat, with music), but adapted it to local preferences: different beer brands and dishes, little to no snaps. I’d like to go to the original celebration sometime soon. Or come to your version next year, it seems to stick very close to the true spirit of Oktoberfest.
Glad to know that you are okay, albeit busy. This time of year just seems to become busier until after the holidays. Hope you have some time to slow down and enjoy it before the snow begins to fly!
I wish I could have joined you for some of that food!! I just love Bratwurst and sourkraut!
That looks like fun Renny! Good to see that you are always having fun. Anyway, I am back online but not yet back home in Norway. Take care always!
Looks like a very fun party. By the way, love your pic in the beer cellar with the hat! IT suits you just swell. ;-)
We are seeing OktoberFest in sunny Singapore too. I don’t drink, so it doesn’t make any difference.
The young people are lapping it up. I attended an OktoberFest and it was fun with all the dancing and singing. I love the pork knuckles and sausages. yum yum
I was already in Münich but not for Oktober fest But I remember the big Brauerei where I saw big Chopes of beer I had never seen before! I couldn’t imagine people could drink in so big glasses more than 1 l. Just I can say is that oktober fest is in the air all the year in Bavaria and I imagine the real atmosphere in Oktober!!!! Wouah!!! something to see! The sweinhaxe looks delicious!
it looks like a really fun time! :) cute hats, renny!!!
Yes, I’ve been to one where there is lots of polka dancing too. It was in Waterloo, a German part of Ontario near where I went to University and there was a LOT of beer!
Dropping by to say hi!!
Oktoberfest sounds like a good holiday to import — much better than Halloween, I might add, which seems to be on the wane in France.
hi renny and diane… you sure have a lot of fun going on here… =)
btw, just wanted to present you with this one:
http://www.riablahgs.com/2008/10/butterfly-award.html
Here in our north Georgia mountains is a city called Helen that has Oktoberfest every fall in good German tradition. It’s a great, novel little town that loves to celebrate the German culture. We’ve been there but not during October because it’s too crowded—full of tourists!
Hahaha…you look like Harry Potter with your hat ! ;-)
That looks like a fun party…. beer flowing…sauerkraut and Wurst !
I have just had a blond moment. I was reading and thought “oh, I have heard of Oktoberfest, but I thought it was in July…”
Oktoberfest…Oktoberfest…Oktober…October… okay, gotcha! :lol:
Why you don’t wear the “Lederhosen”…? LOL… you all looked great and it sounds like a lot of fun you had.
I have a surprise for you: we are moving back to Switzerland, end of November, for some private and also economical AND political reasons. Just now we are selling all out stuff. The best thing is I will celebrate Christmas again with my kids after 7 years. :)
RennyBA – you are allways where things happens;))
oh yeah..we were there yesterday..sad to say, no chance to go inside the beer tents…everything were full..but that was a very great experience..more updates later..have to take breakfast first…have a great sunday too Renny!
will be posting phtos later in my other sites