Oktoberfest is an annual fall festival which takes place in Munich, Germany. It is associated with the consumption of large amounts of beer and traditional German foods, along with general merrymaking. With a few exceptions due to wars, Germans have celebratedOktoberfest every year since 1810, although the early version of the event was dramatically different than the modern incarnation. Many communities with a large German population host their own versions of Oktoberfest every year, encouraging people to celebrate German heritage and join together in fellowship.
The first Oktoberfest was actually a horse race, held to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig I and his wife Therese Saxe-Hildburghausen. The race was such a success that the Germans decided to repeat the event, adding a fair as well, and slowly but steadily, beer entered the mix, eventually becoming the major feature of Oktoberfest. The horse races were dropped in the middle of the 20th century, but it is still possible to purchase a wide range of crafts at the fair, when it happens at the same time as Oktoberfest.
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