Oktoberfest 2020, like all other major events, got canceled due to the deadly Coronavirus pandemic that took over the world. Festivals faced a hiatus of a year and promised to come back stronger the year later. Oktoberfest of 2020 was no different. Germany Oktoberfest is one of the biggest beer and travel festivals celebrated all across the world. It has maintained a rich cultural heritage in the history of Germany. It is known as a Volkfest and is held every year in the city of Munich, Bavaria in Germany. It has been held for the past two centuries. History tells us that because of facing a hiatus last year, Oktoberfest 2021 promised to be bigger and better.
Like every year, it would have stalls of authentic crowd favorite Bavarian delicacies to amazing Munich beers. But as of recent chatter, even the Munich Oktoberfest 2021 stands canceled, the second time in a row.
Details of Oktoberfest 2021:
The Germany Oktoberfest is usually an eighteen to twenty-day event held between September to October. It is also known as d’Wiesn, after the colloquial name of the lands in which it is held. Oktoberfest 2021 was scheduled to be held in between the last weeks of September and the first Sunday of October. Normally this is how the Oktoberfest is held, between late September and early October. Dates keep varying but normally, it is held around this time. Contrary to popular beliefs, Oktoberfest is not held in the month of October, though it ends around some time in the first weeks of October.
Enormous quantities of Munich beer are consumed during the approximately eighteen days fun fair. Stats show that within a span of sixteen days, almost 8 million liters of beer were served in the Oktoberfest of 2013. There are several other attractions for the visitors of the fair like stalls, parades, amusements rides, and several fair games.
The history of the Oktoberfest dates back to 1811 where it took place to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig. An event that started as a parade then blossomed into one of the most long-standing traditions of Germanic history.
Oktoberfest 2021 was scheduled to be commenced on Sept 18th, 2021, and end on the third of October 2021. However, as of now, the event remains canceled and has been rescheduled for 2022.
When should one ideally visit the Oktoberfest?
The Oktoberfest spans over a long time and visitors could naturally get confused over when to visit the fair. It is simple. If one were to see all the main events and key attractions, they should either visit the fair on the opening day of the event or on the closing day. Further details about the opening and closing ceremonies are provided below:
Opening Ceremony of Oktoberfest:
The opening ceremony happens sometime in late September. It takes place in the Schottenheimer tent around the afternoon. This event officially commences the fest. The first keg of beer is tapped by the lord mayor of Munich, as he utters the words “O’Zapft is!” It basically means that the time to drink is officially on.
Closing Ceremony of the Oktoberfest:
It typically happens on the ending night, although there is no official event to mark the end of the fest. However, over the years few rituals have developed which are religiously followed on the ending night. The so-called closing ceremony happens in the tent of Hacker-Pschorr. Amidst dimmed lights and sparklers shooting all across the sky, the event typically ends with a bang. The fest, which sees a footfall of about ten thousand people every year, sees all of its visitors sing together to commemorate the beginning of a happy new year. Perhaps it is just a ritual that developed in a drunken stupor, perhaps it is just a merry gesture. On the closing night, every single visitor celebrates the consumption of seven million beers nonetheless.
Apart from these two key events, there are other lineups that adorn the fest. These would typically include the opening and closing day parades, the parade where everyone dresses in traditional costumes, the traditional bavarian concerts, family days, and like an icing on the cake, an Oktoberfest service in the church to wash off all the sins of greed and gluttony that one commits when they visit the fair. If one were to occupy a spot in the beer tenant, it would be advisable for them to visit in the early hours, or during the weekdays because weekends and nights are packed. It is also very difficult to get a spot on the opening and closing days.
Conclusion:
The hundred and eighty-seventh Oktoberfest has now been delayed for two years. But the situation seems less gloomy as the authorities have assured that there will be an Oktoberfest in 2022 for sure and it will be grander than ever. Dieter Reiter, who is the Lord Mayor for Munich mentioned in his speech that he is gravely concerned about the health of the citizens. He said “The risk is simply too great that people could be infected with the Coronavirus here. I know how hard this is not only for the visitors but also how much it affects all those who work at the Wiesn and now have to do without income once again – from the waiters and waitresses to the stall operators, showmen, and innkeepers. But the Wiesn can only exist completely or not at all.” but people can look forward to the Oktoberfest in 2022 and gear up in advance.
