Oktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival, is held annually in Germany.

The 16-day party

attracts over 6 million people every year who consume 1.5 million gallons of beer, 200,000
pairs of pork sausage, and 480,000 chickens during the two-week extravaganza. While the
event reinforces stereotypical images of beer-loving, meat-loving Germans visitors to the
annual event come from all over the world. Oktoberfest is in fact one of the largest and most
profitable tourist attractions. It brings over 450 million euros each year.
The Oktoberfest tradition started in 1810. The main event of the original Oktoberfest was a
horse race. The festival was eventually prolonged and moved ahead to September to allow for
better weather conditions. Today, the last day of the festival is the first Sunday in October. In
2006, the Oktoberfest extended two extra days because the first Tuesday, October 3, was a
national holiday. Oktoberfest beer is of a variety called Mrzen. Darker and stronger than
traditional beer, Mrzen contains up to 6% alcohol, is bottom-fermented, and is lagered for at
least 30 days.
Oktoberfest is known as much for its traditional folk music as it is for its beer drinking.
Popular and folk music, marches, and polkas make up the c Germany famous around the
world.
The Carnival (Karneval) is one the most celebrated events in Germany!
The carnival starts officially before Christmas, on the 11th of the 11th month at 11:11 am
(elften elften elf uhr elf) with the offical meeting of the "Council of Eleven" (Elferrat), a
German tradition dating from 1823.
The council also organizes shows called Prunksitzung with club members and invited guests
performing dance, comedy and songs, all dressed in costumes, of course!
It is a time of wild celebrations, and the western part of Germany especially is famous for
Karneval celebrations with parades and costume balls and hand-made costumes, and pranks of
all sorts! Carnival is traditionally kicked off on Thursday withWomens Carnival
(Weiberfastnacht). On this unofficial holiday women dress up in costumes and misbehave in
harmless ways, thus symbolically taking control for a day. A popular tradition is to cut off
mens ties, leaving only a short stump of this perceived token of male supremacy. In return the
male victims are usually rewarded with a peck on the cheek.
The Monday following Womens Carnival is called Rosenmontag (Rose Monday). This day
marks the peek of Carnival season, with 11:11 a.m. as the official kick-off time for the popular
parades.
To accompany this great fun, street vendors offer simple German fare to keep Carnival
enthusiasts happy. On every corner one can buy fresh pretzels, hot sausages (Bratwurst)
or Krapfen,
Weihnachten is a public holiday in Germany on December 25. People generally spend
Christmas Day with family members or close friends. Some attend church services and many
sing traditional Christmas carols. A big part of the Christmas celebrations in Germany
is Advent. Several different types of Advent calendars are used in German homes. As well as
the traditional one made of card that are used in many countries, there are ones made out of
24 decorated boxes or bags. Each box or bag has a little present in it. Another type is called a

'Advent Kranz' and is a ring of branches that has four candles on it. This is like the Advent
candles that are sometimes used in Churches. One candle is lit at the beginning of each week
in Advent.
In German Happy/Merry Christmas is 'Frohe Weihnachten'. Germany is well known for its
Christmas Markets where all sorts of Christmas foods and decorations are sold. Perhaps the
most famous German decorations are glass ornaments.Another tradition is the Sternsinger (or
star singers) who go from house to house, sing a song and collect money for charity (this is a
predominantly Catholic tradition). They are four children, three who dress up like the Wise
men and one carries a star on a stick as a symbol for the Star of Bethlehem. When they're
finished singing, they write a signature with chalk over the door of the house. The
Sternsingers visit houses between December 27th and January 6th.