To many the month of October is the official start of autumn as British Summer Time (BST) ends for another year on Sunday 30th October. That’s right, pack away those summer clothes and dig out your winter warmers as it’ll soon be time to say goodbye to Summer…not that we saw much of one in the UK this year!
Luckily before then there’s a host of celebrations taking place across the globe to drag us kicking and screaming into the colder months ahead. What’s more these celebrations all have one thing in common…beer! Sounds like the perfect excuse to learn a new language and have a party at the same time if you ask me!
From late September until the first Sunday in October one of Germany’s most famous festival takes place, attracting over six million revellers each year. The first Oktoberfest was celebrated as far back as 1810 during the royal wedding party of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Since then a total of 176 Oktoberfestivals have been commenced by just two words— Ozapft is!, meaning, “It’s tapped!” And once spoken, the world’s most famous Bavarian beer bonanza can begin.
The Munich ‘Oktoberfest’ as it’s widely known is Germany’s most famous beer festivals; recognised around the world as an epic 16 day party where you can drink copious amounts of beer and eat until your heart is content! In fact during the two-week extravaganza it is said that millions of people consume 1.5 million gallons of beer, 200,000 to 300,000 pork sausages, and nearly 500,000 spit-roasted chickens! That’s some feast.
The Oktoberfest beer festival is now so popular that it has gone global — that’s right, you don’t have to go to Germany to enjoy the traditional celebrations anymore.
Brazil is holding one of the largest beer festivals after Germany. It is predicted that nearly a million people will head over to South America, to get a taste of their version of Oktoberfest. Stretching over 18 days, Brazilian culture will fuse together with the fine traditions of Munich in an attempt to re-create the world famous Oktoberfest. So, perhaps now is a better time than any to start learning Portuguese, after all whom else is going to order your beer and sausages for the duration of the celebrations?
But, if the idea of learning to speak Portuguese isn’t tickling your taste buds then what about Japanese? Yes, Oktoberfest, Japanese style! On the Island of Okinawa, Japan, Torri beach will become home to the Rocktoberfest. Thousands of people will attend a punk and metal concert while enjoying the delights of a German Oktoberfest and with all the sun, sea, sand, beers and bands you can get it sounds like the perfect place to flex your new Japanese language skills!
So, by combining your trip with learning a new language, you’ll be sure to come back with more than just a beer belly and a hangover!
