Although I grew up in the eastern part of Germany and spent most of my adolescence in the north, I always loved traveling south to Bavaria to celebrate Oktoberfest in my twenties.
Yes, you heard correctly- Oktoberfest, with its dirndls and lederhosen, was originally celebrated only in Bavaria, which is just one of Germany's 16 states (Bundesländer). However, over the last decade, other German states have started to join in, albeit with smaller-scale versions of the festival.
A similar trend has happened in the U.S., where Oktoberfest has become a big cultural event. Since moving to Michigan, I’ve embraced celebrating Oktoberfest here, enjoying Weißwurst, Sauerkraut, Brezeln, and polka music. I’ve come to love how open the U.S. is to embracing and integrating other cultural traditions.
Fun fact 1: My German kids have never celebrated Oktoberfest in Germany- they’ve only experienced it here in the U.S.!
Fun fact 2: I often encounter the belief that only Germans can wear dirndls and lederhosen. But please, feel free to join in and wear traditional German costume- whether you're in Germany or anywhere else!
💡 Have you ever celebrated Oktoberfest?
