Welcome to Oktoberfest, the world"s biggest beer festival, held each year in the German city of Munich. Dating back all the way to 1810, it began with the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig, later Ludwig I of Bavaria, and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The celebrations took place on the fields in front of the city gates, which were named Theresienwiese, or Theresa"s Meadow, in honor of the bride. The festivities lasted for five days, filled with exciting activities such as parades and horse races. It was so popular that Oktoberfest became an annual event that now draws more than 6 million people. This year"s festival starts today and lasts 18 days. Beyond Munich, it has become a popular celebration in multiple countries, and cities inside and outside of Germany imitate the festival and cherish its German traditions.
Oktoberfest begins
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Swinging into International Jazz Day
-
Climb a tree for wild animals and plants
-
Wartburg Castle overlooking Thuringian Forest in Germany
-
Chapel on the rock
-
Upstate autumn
-
Sparkling ice diamonds on a black sandy beach
-
Cloudy with a chance of enlightenment
-
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
-
Happy Arbor Day!
-
Let’s go mothing
-
Trunks stick together
-
Jasper Dark Sky Festival
-
Art abounds at the Palais Garnier
-
World Art Day
-
Get amped for Glastonbury
-
Opt outside today
-
First Cliff Walk
-
Looking back at Yellowstone, 30 years after the fires
-
St. Patrick s Day
-
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC
-
Lionfish off the coast of Indonesia
-
Saksun, Faroe Islands, Denmark
-
Listening to the sea
-
Almond trees in full bloom, California
-
Aýna, Albacete, Spain
-
In memory of those lost
-
European Day of Parks
-
Reflections on Memorial Day
-
Sanday Island and the North Sea, Scotland
-
World Wildlife Conservation Day