Where else can you find so much German/Bavarian culture in one place besides the Oktoberfest?
It has a very special atmosphere and ambient and people all over the world are coming to Munich to enjoy it.
Usually, with “Dirndl” and “Lederhosen” you meet with friends or go with colleagues to the Oktoberfest, also called ” the Wiesn” among the locals. You “bummel” over the place and eat here delicious “Schokofrüchte” and there an “Ochsenfetzensemmel” or “Bratwurstsemmel”. Also “Zuckerwatte” and “gebrannte Mandeln” are very popular.
I stroll with my boyfriend through the wide paths and watch “das bunte Treiben”. I like looking at the different types of “Dirndl” and think about which one I like. The sun is shining and the many colorful “Luftballone”, which can be bought everywhere, shine in the sun.
In one of the tents, we enjoy a delicious German dish, listen to the Music, and immerse into the special atmosphere. (Without “Bier” in our case. 😉)
We buy each other “Lebekuchenherzen” at one of the many “Stände”. On them are nice and funny sayings. We walk on and take a ride with the “Riesenrad”. From there you have a great view over the whole Oktoberfest. We watch with amusement the people on the “roller coaster” or how many “betrunkene” people want to get on a fast-moving belt up into a tower to slide down from there.
You have to be a bit careful, because especially as a woman you can be addressed by the drunken men (sometimes roughly), but it is still a boisterous, joyful atmosphere that you simply must have experienced. Big and small simply are having “Freude” at the Oktoberfest.
Also, of course, it’s a good place to “anbandln” with someone.
This atmosphere continues in the tents. Many people love the “Bierzelte” and travel from all over the world to visit them.
The tents are huge and there is a lot of beer flowing. They open in the late morning and are already full to the brim by midday. Tables are reserved months in advance. If you are lucky and have a nice employer in Munich, they will invite you to a table and a “Runde”.
Everywhere you see white and blue tablecloths, garlands, and flags . The colors of Bavaria. The Germans are proud of Bavarian beer. At a later hour and with a higher alcohol level, people dance on the “Biertische” and sing along to the songs of the bands.
Since the glass is often mixed up, because of a lot of kissing, and lower immune defense due to alcohol etc., it’s not rare to chatch the “Wiesngrippe”.
Such a special atmosphere, with people from all over the world, many in “Tracht” and even more with beer, is rarely in the world to find and is therefore so “beliebt” and special.
It is definitely a great experience, and we are excited to teach in our our courses the spark of German culture, what you shoud try, where to watch out, unwritten rules, and of course how to speak German at the Oktoberfest and even teach some Bavarian!
Have you ever been to Oktoberfest? What was your greatest or funniest experience? Let us know in the comments!
Would you like to learn more about the beautiful German culture and start learning or improve your German?
… not being the tourist at the Oktoberfest, but enjoy it as a local?
… give your life an upgrade, understand jokes, express yourself well, and experience special moments?
… to not only be the working bee in Germany, but to be able to integrate and really enjoy your life here?
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Vocabulary:
der Einzug der Wiesnwirte – entry parade oft the beer-tend-hosts
die Wiesn – the Oktoberfest
bummeln – to stroll
die Schokofrüchte – fruit sticks covered with chocolate
die Ochsenfetzensemmel – a bread roll with ox meat (and ketchup and mustard, onions, etc)
die Bratwurstsemmel – a bread roll with sausage (and ketchup and mustard, onions, etc)
die Zuckerwatte – cotton candy
die gebrannten Mandeln (Pl.) – roasted almonds (with sugar)
das bunte Treiben – the colorful hustle and bustle
das Bier – the beer
der Luftballon (Pl. die Luftballone) – the balloon
das Lebkuchenherz – famous gingerbread-hearts, typical for the Oktoberfest
der Stand (Pl. die Stände) – the stand
das Riesenrad – the Ferris wheel
betrunken sein – to be drunk
die Freude – the joy
anbandln mit (Dativ) (Bavarian) – mit jemandem flirten (Dativ)– to hook up with someone
das Bierzelt (Pl. die Bierzelte) – the beer tend
die Runde – the round
der Biertisch (Pl. die Biertische) – the beer benches
die Wiesngrippe – a flue after having been to the Oktoberfest
die Tracht – traditional clothing
beliebt – popular
-> Which one is your favorite Oktoberfest-word? 😉 Comment and let us know!