On October 3, Katja and I went to Ruby & Fellas Irish Bar to celebrate Oktoberfest. One of our goals was to experience another person’s traditions and festivals, and with October approaching, this was the perfect idea. However, rather than intense partying or clubbing, we chose to enjoy a typical German beer at the bar, Ayinger Urweisse.
We spoke in detail about the traditions of Oktoberfest, specifically regarding the music, clothing, food, drinks, and various activities. Oktoberfest starts the Saturday after September 15 and lasts until the first Sunday of October, a total of 16 days, which I did not expect at all. I always assumed Oktoberfest was more of a weekend tradition, or just a few days, rather than weeks. I also got to listen to the typical Oktoberfest music, which was described as similar to brass music/traditional Bavarian music. I liked the music as it reminded me of the Carnaval songs and ‘volksliederen’ that are very popular in the Netherlands.
I also got to see the dirndl (and Katja’s dirndl), which is the traditional dress worn by girls during Oktoberfest. Furthermore, she also explained to me what Oktoberfest entails. There are many activities organized, including watching traditional music performances, beer tastings, and eating at food stalls. There are even Amusement Parks with rollercoasters set up in cities. People tend to gather in large, decorated tents (resembling houses) and party, drink, and eat all night long.
Overall, I enjoyed the talk and learned a lot more about Oktoberfest, especially as I realized how happy and open Katja was to talk about it. We ended our night getting some dinner and snacks at Prisma and taking the bus back home together.
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