How September became Oktoberfest month

"To understand why, have to go way back to 1810, when Bavaria's Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Her parents ruled the nearby Duchy of Saxe-Hildburghausen, today known simply as the German district of Hildburghausen in central Germany, with its border along northern Bavaria. So the two royals were essentially neighbors. Her parents wanted her to marry Napoleon, but that didn't work out, so they settled for a Bavarian prince. The actual wedding took place on October 12."

"While her husband, Prince Ludwig was a notorious philanderer, Therese endeared herself to the citizens of Bavaria, and the site of the wedding was renamed Theresienwiese in her honor. The wedding reception's activities were repeated the next year, and each year after that, eventually evolving into the modern Oktoberfest celebrated today. Since 1810, it's only been cancelled a few times for cholera epidemics, a few wars, and, most recently, twice during the COVID-19 pandemic."

"During the late 1800s, the dates started shifting earlier to take advantage of more predictably warmer weather. Now, it ends on the first Sunday in October, and usually starts 16 days before. I say usually, because sometimes German Reunification Day, Oct. 3, falls before the last Sunday, in which case the festival concludes instead on that holiday. That means Oktoberfest can be as long as 18 days, which it was in 2023."

Oktoberfest traces its origins to the five-day wedding celebration of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese in 1810, held on October 12 and featuring a folk festival, opera, plays, balls, a music academy and a horse race. The wedding site was renamed Theresienwiese in honor of Therese, and the reception activities were repeated annually, evolving into the modern festival. Cancellations have been rare, occurring for cholera epidemics, wars, and twice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dates shifted earlier in the late 1800s for warmer weather; the festival now ends the first Sunday in October and usually starts 16 days earlier, sometimes extending to Oct. 3, making it as long as 18 days.

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