Come party in true Bavarian fashion at this two-day celebration of a time-honored tradition
The annual Oktoberfest celebration to be held on October 7 to 8, 2016 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila marks the 78th celebration of partying, the Bavarian way. The yearly shindig, in Fliegerlied fashion, has been going on since 1938, a solid number of years before bilateral relations between Germany and the Philippines commenced in 1954. It was with a touch of humor that German Embassy Manila’s Charge D’Affaires Michael Hasper pointed this out at this year’s press conference, saying that “we first began to party before we got serious.”
And what a party it has been, all these years!
Bavarian blowout
The customary Bavarian blowout began in October of 1810, when Crown Prince (later on, King) Ludwig threw a wedding reception in honor of his new bride, Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The feast lasted five days, and all the citizens of Munich and Bavaria gathered not only to to fete the happy couple, but also to eat, drink, be merry, and do the Fliegerlied. “The Flieger-what-now???”
I won’t spoil it for you. You’ll just have to head on over to this year’s Oktoberfest to figure it out. Make sure to bring your dancing shoes, and get ready for some uber-fun action moves to the tune of traditional Bavarian music.
To date, the Münchner Oktoberfest, as locals refer to it, has grown into epic proportions of mammoth merriment. It runs for 16 days in Munich and has become one of the country’s biggest tourist attractions, annually drawing over six million visitors from all over the world.
The amiable ambassador of ale
Miles and miles away from Munich, across the seas to Manila, the Oktoberfest has been recognized as an ambassador, of sorts. This amiable ambassador of ale has helped to foster good relations between the German and Filipino communities, over a mind-blowing 16,000 to 17,000 liters of beer, one ton of sausage, and half a ton of pork knuckles, consumed in just two nights. These astounding facts were shared by the Adam Laker, Sofitel’s General Manager, as he welcomed guests to the press conference for the event’s seventh year at the hotel.
Cheers, to the champion of culture
Beyond the copious amounts of beer, the German Club Manila’s Oktoberfest is a robust social gathering and showcase of Bavarian culture. Expect to see men and women don traditional German wear: the former, clad in lederhosen (leather suspenders) over trachten (plain white or checkered) shirts, Alpine hats atop their head, while the latter, sport pretty and colorful dirndls (dress with apron) and braids.
Expect, as well, to have more than your fill of scrumptious German grub, such as platters-full of deli meats and cheeses, German sausages (Ring Bratwurst, cheese sausage, Cervelat sausage, Münchner Weisswurst, and Hungarian sausages) perfectly paired with sauerkraut, grilled pork knuckles, crispy roast pork with beer gravy, roasted steamship (beef leg), parsley filled roasted chicken, potato
dumplings, Bavarian breaded dumplings, apple strudel; and other delicious customary eats.
Book your tickets know! Email reservations@germanclub.ph or call (02) 894-2899. For more information, visit www.germanclub.ph/our-events/oktoberfest-2016/
 
By ANGIE DUARTE