Oktoberfest Trivia & Tradition: Do You Know Answers To These Ten Oktoberfest Questions?

Fall has arrived in northern Georgia, and that means that visitors are flocking to the area to celebrate Oktoberfest Helen! Do you know that there are Oktoberfest Trivia & Tradition?

Hoist a pint, join the parade and eat a brat when you head to Helen this fall. Oktoberfest in Helen is the longest-running Oktoberfest celebration in the world and starts in mid-September running through the end of October. There is nothing quite like experiencing the traditional German fall festival and celebration in Helen. What you find at the Oktoberfest in Germany is what you’ll find right here in Helen Georgia.

The annual festival is well known as a time to eat, drink, and be merry. But why do we celebrate Oktoberfest, and how did it begin?

These interesting facts about the traditional Bavarian festival, traditions and a historical review will provide you with some insight.

Ten Interesting Facts About Oktoberfest

1. Do You Know the Name of the German State Where Oktoberfest originated?

The first Oktoberfest celebration took place in Munich, Germany, which is in the state (or Bundesland) of Bavaria. Oktoberfest Helen GA is modeled after a Bavarian Alpine village and is a particularly unique American rendition of the festival.

2. How did the First Oktoberfest Get Started?

Although many people believe that Oktoberfest is merely an excuse to drink alcohol, the very first Oktoberfest was in commemoration of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The festivities continued for five days, and everything was topped off with a horse race. At that time Bavaria was starting to develop as an official kingdom and the celebration became significant in establishing the state’s cultural identity.

3. Why is it called “Oktoberfest” if it occurs during September?

Although Munich’s Oktoberfest now begins in September, the original celebration took place in October.  Traditionally, the festival is scheduled so that it includes the first Sunday of October, and they refer to the beers served at the festival as Oktoberfestbiers. As with Munich’s celebration, Oktoberfest Helen usually begins mid-September but runs even longer – through the end of October.

4. How many people attend Oktoberfest each year?

The Munich Oktoberfest is known as the largest Volksfest (People’s Fair) in the entire world. Nearly six million people attend the festival each year. Interestingly enough, 15% of those who attend Munich are from foreign countries.

5. What is the traditional way to open the Oktoberfest celebration?

Oktoberfest isn’t Oktoberfest without the traditional tapping of the keg. On the first day of the celebration, the mayor of Munich kicks off the festivities by tapping the first beer barrel and showing “O’zapft is!” which means “It is tapped!” At that point, the start of the celebration is official. Steins remain full for the remainder of the festival. Oktoberfest Helen follows the tradition with an official tapping of the keg to kick off the festival.

6. What is the Oktoberfest rule about beer?

According to the standards of the Oktoberfest celebration, all beer has to be from the six breweries of Munich. These breweries include Paulaner, Spaten, Hacker-Pschorr, Augustiner, Hofbrau, and Lowenbrau. In addition to this, the beer must adhere to the purity standard or “Reinheitsgebot.” That means they restrict recipes to using barley, malt yeast, and hops. Although Oktoberfest Helen serves up large volumes of German beers, the rules are a bit more relaxed. Festival attendees can feel free to enjoy their domestic favorites, too.

7. What is the traditional toast used at Oktoberfest?

Although in America, we tend to toast by saying “Cheers!,” during Oktoberfest, it’s more fun to use the traditional German toast of “Prost!”. That translates to “To your health.” To ensure a guest’s drink was not poisoned, a toast was developed from the ancient practice of a host pouring and drinking wine before serving dinner. At Oktoberfest Helen, they continue to embrace the beloved toast.

8. How much beer do people consume during Oktoberfest?

As incredible as it may sound, over 7 million liters of beer are consumed at Oktoberfest each year – that’s enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool 2.4 times! With the high number of festival-goers, this isn’t quite as alarming as it initially appears.

9. What do the Germans call those who overindulge on beer?

Because beer is a staple for Oktoberfest, some festival-goers may overindulge and find themselves passed out on the grounds. The Germans refer to those poor souls as “Bierleichen” which translates to “beer corpses.” To avoid becoming a Bierleichen at Oktoberfest Helen GA, it’s a good idea to drink responsibly, and remember to keep your belly full of something other than just beer. A soft pretzel, bratwurst, or delicious strudel should do the trick.

10. Is it a good idea to bring children to Oktoberfest?

Despite the prevalence of beer, Oktoberfest is a family-friendly festival, and children are welcome to enjoy food, dance, and togetherness.

Oktoberfest Traditions Folks Love

Live Music and Dancing

Most nights in the Helen Festhalle, you can catch a live band playing a wide variety of music. The live music is nearly nonstop, and dancing on tables threatens to break out at any time. The atmosphere is never anything but jovial. 

And what’s an Oktoberfest celebration without dancing? Enjoy watching or join in as women dance adorned in dirndl skirts, and men sing wearing lederhosen breeches in buildings with exposed timbers and cobblestones. The whole city of Helen, GA has been designed to resemble an Alpine village, along with a rush of water flowing through it all just like in Bavaria.

You’ll feel like you’ve been transported across the ocean as you drink your beer and sing along and dance with the good-humored German songs. There’ll be some shoe-slapping dances, yodeling, group and Polka dancing, and the infamous chicken dance!