The history of this fest dates back to October 1810, when elaborate festivities were organized to commemorate the wedding of Ludwig, the then crown prince of Bavaria. The festivities were repeated in the subsequent years as well, resulting in a prolonged yearly fest, which was advanced in due course to September to take advantage of the better weather conditions that allowed the revellers to celebrate well into the night. Of late, the Oktoberfest begins on the first Saturday after September 15 and concludes on the first Sunday of October. This year, the celebrations last from September 20 to October 5. The fest is declared open by tapping a keg of beer by the incumbent mayor of Munich with the words O'zapft is!, meaning `it's tapped.'
Beer, which plays the central role in the fest, is served in one-liter mugs called `Mass.' Traditional Bavarian specialties such as sausage, giant pretzel and roasted chicken are hugely popular as well. Many visitors, especially Bavarians, wear traditional clothes like Lederhosen (leather trousers for men) and Dirndl (a dress style with a tight bodice, short sleeves, and a gathered skirt), making this fest more colorful and serving as a reminder to the visitors, especially from abroad, that there is more to Oktoberfest than binge-drinking.
