It’s a hell of a party, Oktoberfest, but it’s been a long time in the making. The first Oktoberfest was actually more like a massive wedding reception.
Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s married Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in 1810 and to celebrate the local Bavarians decided a bit of a party was in order. Oktoberfest is still held at Theresienwiese which actually means Therese’s meadow.
Despite running mainly in September, it’s still called Oktoberfest because it was initially held in October. Sensibly the locals realised that if they moved it forward a couple of weeks there was a better chance of good weather.
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