O'Zapft Is! Welcome to the Oktoberfest

O'Zapft is! Those are the traditional words the mayor of Munich uses to open the Oktoberfest, after he knocks the tap into the first cask of the frothy (and expensive) brew! My tradition is a sketchbook page celebrating the largest fair in the world, with about 6 million visitors. 

The Oktoberfest started as a wedding celebration in 1810 of the couple bottom left, Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese, it probably was an omen of things to come that she left the celebration alone and Ludwig stayed to party! The famous Oktoberfest beer is stronger than usual beer with about 6% alcohol and only the 6 original Munich breweries are allowed to sell it. The Brezen (middle of the spread) are a salty, dough speciality, useful for soaking up the copious amounts of beer and also making you thirsty, as do most of the traditional Bavarian specialities like the 75,000 pork shanks which are sold annually. The Oktoberfest is a meat orgy, vegetarians will find cheese specialities but vegans will probably have to stick to bread! 

There are 16 different beer tents, playing oompah music and all decorated differently, that is the entrance to my favourite, the Augustiner tent. The word tent is really misleading, they are massive ''hangars'' with balconies, rows and rows of tables and stalls. Don’t expect to find a quiet, romantic corner, you'll be squashed into a row with loads of tourists from China, Italy, Australia, America and Japan; the Oktoberfest is a major tourist attraction, it’s an excellent opportunity to get to know new people. Get there early if you want to get a seat, otherwise you’ll be queuing for hours and probably only see the tents from the outside! 

Locals call this beer orgy the “Wiesn”, the original wedding celebration was held on meadows outside of Munich and the German word for meadow is Wiese, the area is now called the ''Theresienwiese'' after Princess Therese. The original celebration was held in October but as the fair began to be celebrated annually it was moved to September to enjoy better weather. Although the Wiesn are about beer there are also 170 different attractions to enjoy including some very old carousels. 

Dress code, if possible buy or borrow a dirndl (the traditional dress for ladies) and the guys wear Lederhosen (don't go for the '' he wears short shorts'' short version! Longer breeches look better), most tourists do make the effort and you will feel left out if you don't. Essential for the ladies is a push-up bra, it’s time for displaying your assets, for a Dirndl you need ''Holz vor der Hütte'', literally translated it means wood in front of your chalet, but I think you get the gist. Time to show what you’ve got or fake it! For those in the metoo crowd (not being cynical, it’s a warning) alcohol and extremely low cut dresses don’t contribute to political correctness, so if you find drunken ogling or flirty chat up lines offensive, it’s not the place for you! Speaking of flirting, a wee tip, the apron bows speak a language, tied on the right the lady is spoken for, tied on the left she is available, mid front (never seen this!) she’s a virgin and mid back, the lady is a widow! 

Here you can see one of the traditional dresses, they are worn tight and low cut, however they come in a vast array of different styles, so there is something for everyone. 

One last tip, remember your mum always telling you to put on clean underwear, just in case you have an accident, well ladies, think big knickers ...... get out your best Bridget Jones'! Cycling shorts are perhaps even better, why? Because you may end up dancing on the tables as is the tradition, for those sitting on the benches below, a delightful opportunity to get an eyeful. Prost!