Hey all. This week went by quickly. Germany, in particular Bavaria, is a very traditional place. That has been changing recently, but I have brought a few of Bavaria's most notable traditional things together in this overview. Next week, I will be writing about Berlin!
First, München has a rich festival culture. Several times a year there are large festivals that occur in various large open spaces—the most prominent of which is Das Oktoberfest (beer festival). Other special events include Auer Dult (folk festival), Frühlingsfest (Spring Festival), and Christkindlmärkte (Christmas Markets).
Second, Bavaria is predominantly Christian, the history of which one can notice in architecture, everyday life, and culture. This topic arose in my art class when we visited Blutenburg, in which there was a chapel that had a large chapel depicting various Catholic-style imagery intermixed with political depictions.
For Oktoberfest in particular, the original event marked the wedding of two royals, Ludwig and Therese, in 1810. A horse race took place outside of the city on a meadow, which is now called Theresienwiese in honor of Therese and where Das Oktoberfest takes place.
