Oktoberfestt
...e could pose a health risk for the many spectators attending the festival. Traditions like Oktoberfest has changed since the festival began in the early 1800’s. Since the early 1950’s the mayor of the ruling party have started the custom with the ceremonial opening of the first beer keg at 12 a.m. in front of a large awaiting public waiting for the first few drops of beer to be spilled starting another festival ( Koch). Oktoberfest is still held at the same place for all these years where the tradition first got its start. Arrays of people around the world gather at Theresienwiese were the ceremony started. As everyone knows, Oktoberfest is flooded with all types of different kinds of beer and ales on the opening day. . Today the whole tradition is started with a morning parade. Every year the first sips of beer are drank by the mayor. The mayor is the first one to drink the beer because the mayor is the first person to tap the ceremonial first beer keg. Beer at the festival is usually consumed out of a one-liter beer mug. Beer is a vital part of Oktoberfest and a big part of Bavaria's economy. According to Mario Koch of the Jakarta Post, 30 percent of the yearly beer output of the six official breweries in Bavaria are sold at the festival. To put that statistic into terms that every one will understands. That is over 5.5 million liters of alcohol consumed in a short span of 16 days. Oktoberfest has gotten so popular over the years, that the largest beer tent at the festival is congested with over 82,000 people. The congestion is so great that a person can’t leave the beer tent without fear of losing his or her place (Mario Koch). Contest are held to see who can make the strongest beer and who can drink the most amount of beer in a set period of time. Munich breweries concoct a special kind of beer for the festival called Wiesenbier or Meadow beer (Reggie Aspiras). Consumption of alcohol is not the only thing that happens at Oktoberfest. The festival is littered with bands playing drinking songs, parades, dance, and what is customary to eat at the festival. For this tradition bands are flown in from Munich to come play in the Bavarian Sound Express Theater. Many bands that do come play the theater play Oompapa music. Music usually only fond in Europe. Oompapa bands are rarely found outside of Germany (Startling Oktoberfest glimpses online). There are many different kinds of foods people eat at the festival. One of the major foods people eat is sausage. Bavaria holds a contest to see who can eat the most sausage. The different kinds of foods at Oktoberfest are in abundance. During the festival, there are massive buffet tables with all sorts of different kinds of selection of foods which people can enjoy. On the buffet they are ...