Friday, September 21, 2007

1984

No, I am not going to write about the book by that name, but that's the year I visited Oktoberfest in Munich with Mr Mar ... Can't believe it has been this long... can you believe the crowd??



The 2007 edition begins tomorrow and will last until october 7th. I couldn't imagine visiting again since a) I avoid large crowds whenever I can and b) I do not drink beer! I don't like beer and believe me: I tried several types during the 8 and a half years I lived in Germany.

My memories of that evening are as blurred as the picture, but only because it is a long time ago! and it was part of a trip not the trip . But I remember those petite Asian women holding (and drinking!) the huge 1-liter mugs, the happy drunken (because we left early so everybody was in the best mood) and overall the indescribable festive atmosphere.


Again, the wiki helps me out with interesting statistics:
  • 12,000 people are employed at the Oktoberfest. Of these, 1600 are waitresses[Barmaids].
  • There is seating available for 100,000 people.
  • In 1999 there were six and a half million visitors
  • The six Oktoberfest breweries, (Spaten, Augustiner, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu) sold 6.1 million mugs of beer in 2006 That's what the wiki says. However, this should read : about 60 million mugs, according to the German wiki site, which makes an average consumption of 10 mugs per visitor!( one per visitor seemed too little...). Thanks to the clever hint from BreadBox in the comments!
  • Roasted oxen: 102
  • Sausages: 219,443 pairs
  • Roast chickens: 459,279
  • 60% of visitors arrive by public transport.
  • There are currently 14 main tents at the Oktoberfest
  • In 2007, the price of a Maß will cost between €7.30 (10.2 USD) and €7.90 (11.1USD)
It seems those can be expensive evenings!
Updated after the 6th comment: today is International Peace Day





15 comments:

  1. I would love to do Oktoberfest in Munich someday. In 1984, I went to the olympics in Los Angeles...

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  2. Hello Michele sent me.

    I studied abroad in the spring of 2000 and was able to go to the Hoffebrau House (if I remember correctly) It was a lot of fun, but it certainly was no Oktoberfest.

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  3. Very interesting stats, including "oxen"...LOL, and that picture has an almost etheral quality...! Like you, I don't driink beer or like it, at all...So, I guess I would be eating a lot of Chicken if I went!

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  4. Oh my dear...I forgot to say Michele sends her regards!

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  5. Hi. First time here from Michele's.
    My son visits Germany somewhat frequently. He's an airline pilot. My nephew lives in Germany. He's a player-coach for a professional basketball team. Dunno which one. They both talk about the Oktoberfests they attended.

    Nice blog.

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  6. I live in Munich and hate this time of year because most tourist are rude

    and it gets so loud

    in 1984 I was 14 so not sure what I did

    michelle sent me to read :))

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  7. Hmmm. Odd statistics! 6-ish million visitors, 6-ish million liters of beer sold?? That's got to be a mistake! (Not on your part, Mar: that is indeed what the wiki page says)

    Michele sent me to say hi today!
    N.

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  8. My favorite stat is that 60% arrive by public transit. I love that! I wish we weren't so car dependant here in the US.

    Katherine, I was in LA for the Olympics too.

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  9. Oktoberfest !! I was there in 1998 and 2002 ; some great memories !! And some blank as well...

    Michele sent me; have a great weekend !

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  10. Thanks for the statistics. Very interesting!

    You should see the crowd in India in any kind of festival!

    Or even during NO festival!

    Glad Michele sent me here to learn something new!

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  11. Well, I hope Mr. Mar likes beer. Isn't that the point of Oktoberfests?

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  12. Those statistics are quite staggering!

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  13. Hi again Mar: I did wonder too about the quantities of sausage and chicken consumed,... but I'll leave that alone for now!

    Michele sent me again,
    N.

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  14. That's why we had such a lot of traffic around Munich ! It just had been opened and all tends were already full ! 1 l beer for 7.50 € they said in the radio !

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