- Title: GERMANY: World's largest beer festival the annual Oktoberfest opens in Munich
- Date: 21st September 2008
- Summary: BAND PLAYING (2 SHOTS) COUPLE DANCING WITH BEER MUGS IN HAND
- Embargoed: 6th October 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA9X7WGJIBFXC8KDYNAF1UHIZ0
- Story Text: The world's largest beer festival, the annual Oktoberfest, opens in the Bavarian capital of Munich for the 175th time where some six million visitors from around the world are expected to down at least one beer before the partyon October 5.
The world's largest beer festival, the annual Munich Oktoberfest, has opened for the 175th time on Saturday (September 20) as organisers expect around six million visitors to attend the two-week long party.
At 12 noon (1000 GMT), Munich mayor officially declared the festival open when he traditionally tapped the first beer keg with a wooden hammer, screaming "Ozapft is" (the keg is broken open).
Beer is served in one litre mugs known as "Mass" which this year cost between 7.80 euros ($11.31 US dollars) and 8.30 euros ($11.96 US dollars), depending on the beer tent they are bought at.
According to the organisers, some 1,800 waitresses ensure the speedy delivery of beer and fresh supply across the grounds known as "Wiesn."
Visitors each year consume millions of litres of beer and hundreds of thousands of sausages.
In 2005, merrymakers downed 6.1 million litres of beer and devoured 479,610 roast chickens and 55,913 knuckles of pork. Giant brezels and gingerbread hearts are also on sale each year.
Although many visitors come from abroad, Oktoberfest is a highlight for many Bavarians who turn out in traditional lederhosen and low-cut "dirndl" dresses.
As Bavarian state Prime Minister Guenther Beckstein put it, citing his deceased predecessor Franz-Josef Strauss, "being Bavarian state prime minister is the most wonderful job in the world. I'm absolutely certain that he was thinking of the start of Oktoberfest."
($1=.6894 Euro) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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