After the pandemic deprived Germans of Oktoberfest, the spirit of the festival was revived in Kaunas

It started with a wedding celebration.

Oktoberfest traditions date back to the 19th century. and the first festival in Bavaria was held in 1810. on the occasion of the wedding of Prince Louis. At a celebration held in the countryside outside Munich’s city gates, locals enjoyed a beer and enjoyed horse racing and other entertainment. The decision to repeat the celebration the following year gave rise to the ancient Oktoberfest tradition. Today, it has become one of the largest events in the world, visited by more than 6 million people each year. people.

The festival has preserved many traditions for more than 200 years. For example, the duty of opening the first keg of beer always falls to the mayor of Munich. Those gathered carefully count, and often bet, how many strokes the mayor will need to unload the barrel. Immediately afterwards, twelve shots about the start of the festival are announced to all festival goers gathered in giant tents. Each of the 14 large tents, where the main action of the festival takes place, can hold up to 10,000 people. people! There are also 15-20 smaller shops in the festival area, where different Munich breweries present beer specially brewed for this event. In addition to the tents, there is an amusement park, parades, concerts and other entertainment.

The epidemic was not prevented for the first time

From the first celebration in 1810 until this year, Oktoberfest did not take place just 24 times in total. To the disappointment of many holiday fans, this year is the 25th. Due to the cholera epidemic, the festival did not take place in 1854 and 1873. It was also withdrawn during the various wars, also due to high inflation in 1923 and 1924. Although Oktoberfest did not take place in Munich this year, its spirit is full of smaller initiatives and events in different parts of Germany and throughout Europe. Among them in Lithuania.

On the last Friday in September, the Wolf Engelman Brewery organized the Oktoberfest celebration with all the most important attributes of this festival for the residents and guests of Kaunas. Traditional Bavarian clothing, an orchestra, Bratwurst-style sausages, and other traditional German cuisine, as well as beer, of course, are essential here. A similar celebration was held in Vilnius during the “Days of the Capital”. In addition, residents of the capital were able to enjoy the Lithuanian version of Oktoberfest in mid-September in Vilnius, when the German holiday events took place. There was also no shortage of traditional German Bavarian dishes, games, contests and music at the celebration, media reported.

The “Vokuva” association also appreciates the long tradition of organizing the “Oktoberfest” in Lithuania: it has been organizing this event for six years in a row. However, according to Dirk Bohlmann, a member of the association’s board of directors, it was decided not to organize the event for COVID-19 this year.

At Oktoberfest, we try to unite the common history of Lithuania and Germany in the Klaipėda region, also known as Mėmelis. In this way, we preserve German traditions and commemorate the German national holiday. It is difficult to imagine Klaipeda without this event, it has already become a tradition that we will try to continue to follow, external circumstances permitting ”, says D. Bohlmann.

According to him, the event, sponsored every year by the “Wolf Engelman” brewery, is attended by people of different nationalities, which is why the event brings communities together.

The goal was to restore the atmosphere of the Oktoberfest in Lithuania.

Marius Horbačauskas, CEO of Wolf Engelman, who has visited the famous Munich Festival three times, says that the idea of ​​organizing the Oktoberfest in Lithuania managed to convey at least part of the atmosphere of this exceptional celebration.

“Almost every year one of our teams goes to the Bavarian capital during Oktoberfest and brings a lot of impressions from there. I have also experienced the truly extraordinary atmosphere of Oktoberfest. Hence, when we found out that the festival was being canceled in Germany, we think that the traditions and spirit of Oktoberfest could be preserved in Lithuania. Be that as it may, Oktoberfest is no longer just a local Bavarian phenomenon, it has inspired smaller events that preserve the traditions of the festival in many countries. Furthermore, Lithuania it has a number of historical connections to German culture, and our modern brewing traditions are also heavily inspired by the Germans, ”says M. Horbačauskas.

According to M. Horbačauskas, the impression of the real Oktoberfest is first of all left by the joyful atmosphere, which was tried to recreate at the Wolf Engelman Brewery in Kaunas and at the events organized during Capital Days.

Distinction – cultural fun

“During Oktoberfest, all of Munich has been living the rhythm of the festival for two weeks. People dress up in traditional Bavarian clothing and travel to festival events to share a good mood. Of course, we did not intend to repeat the fun that lasted more than two weeks in Lithuania, but we dealt with all the usual Oktoberfest attributes: clothes, huge cups, a Bavarian orchestra and food. I think we really managed to convey at least a part of the atmosphere of the “Oktoberfest”, says M. Horbačauskas.

According to him, although the fun of Oktoberfest in Munich can be the best it can be, and traditional songs often attract thousands of people at the same time in the festival tents, the celebration is very cultural. Oktoberfest events end strictly at eleven o’clock at night, and many German visitors to the festival take home and commute to work the next day. Also, adventure in the city is generally left to tourists alone.

“At our Oktoberfest events, we also wanted to emphasize this aspect of culturalism and create a celebration for the townspeople, where they could learn about the Oktoberfest traditions and have a good time with friends and family tasting German food and drinks. I think this goal it has really been achieved. This is evidenced by the great interest in the event and the good response from those who attended. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new long-standing tradition in Lithuania? “, reflects M. Horbačauskas.