Know everything about the history of Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest is one of the world's best known festivals, but its origins have little to do with the beer-filled celebration it is today. What began as a royal wedding celebration in Munich in 1810 grew into an annual Bavarian festival and eventually became a global tradition. (wikimedia commons)

It Began With A Royal Wedding: The first Oktoberfest took place in Munich on October 12, 1810, to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, later King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The five-day festivities ended with a horse race, held on an open area that later became known as Theresienwiese, the site of today's festival. (wikimedia commons)

Why Is It Called Oktoberfest: The name comes from the festival's original timing. Oktoberfest was held in October during its early decades, but in 1872 organisers moved it to September to take advantage of longer daylight hours and warmer weather. The festival has remained in September ever since, traditionally ending on the first Sunday of October. (wikimedia commons)

Why It Became An Annual Festival: The wedding celebrations proved so popular that Munich decided to repeat them the following year. In 1811, the horse race was combined with an agricultural show organised by the Bavarian Agricultural Association. Over the years, food and drink stalls appeared, gradually transforming the event into the much larger festival known today. (wikimedia commons)

How Beer Became Central To The Festival: Beer became an important part of Oktoberfest partly because of Bavarian brewing traditions. A 1553 decree prohibited beer production during the warm summer months, so brewers made stronger beer in March that could be stored through summer. This Märzen-style beer became closely associated with Oktoberfest, which provided an opportunity to consume the stored beer before the autumn brewing season. (wikimedia commons)

The Famous Opening Ceremony: Modern Oktoberfest begins with a grand parade of festival landlords and breweries, featuring decorated carriages and horse-drawn brewery wagons travelling through Munich. The official opening comes when the city's mayor taps the first beer keg at the Schottenhamel beer tent and declares “O'zapft is!” meaning “It's tapped!” The ceremonial tapping tradition dates to 1950. (wikimedia commons)

From Munich To The World: Oktoberfest eventually spread far beyond Bavaria. The first recorded U.S. celebration took place in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in October 1961, and local versions spread across the country during the following decades. Today, Oktoberfest-style celebrations take place around the world, although many follow different dates and formats from the original Munich festival. (wikimedia commons)