Oktoberfest is one of the longest-running festivals in the world and as such, holds lots of meaningful traditions. Here are some of them!
The parade of the Oktoberfest tent owners
You shouldn’t miss the parade of the hosts to their respective tents, which happens at 11 a.m. on the first day of the festival. It lasts about 1 hour and attracts more than a thousand onlookers. We suggest you go there early so you can find a prime spot to take pictures from!
The opening of the first barrel by the Mayor of Munich
The Oktoberfest celebration officially begins when the Mayor of Munich uncorks the first barrel of beer using a wooden mallet. When the first mug is poured, he says “O’zapft is!” (that’s “pour it!” in German) to mark the beginning of the festivities.
The procession on the first Sunday of Oktoberfest
The Trachten-und Schützenzug is a big parade that passes through Munich, heading to the Theresienwiese, where the Oktoberfest festival is traditionally held. It starts at 10 a.m. and over 9,500 people from all over the world take part in it, accompanied by marching bands and brass orchestras. This parade has historical significance–it was held for the first time in 1835 to honor the 25th wedding anniversary of King Ludwig I and Therese of Bavaria, and it has become an anticipated event, broadcasted on live TV, since 1950.
Watch (or participate in) Feldl’s Teufelsrad
The Teufelsrad’s concept is very simple: A large spinning disc, where people of a certain demographic can climb on and hold tight as the spinning becomes faster. It’s quite challenging, but a lot of fun!
Watch a free public concert
The second Sunday of the festival, meanwhile, sees a big concert of around 300 musicians at the foot of the Bavaria statue. It usually starts at 11 a.m. and is traditionally conducted by the mayor and the various celebrities present at Oktoberfest. Get there early to score a great view!
Oktoberfest is one of the most anticipated festivals in the world, so if you’re attending, make sure to take lots of pictures! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment, so don’t forget to charge your cameras and phones beforehand. Afterward, display your favorite Oktoberfest pictures on your own Nixplay Frame! Get up to 25% off on selected frames with our Oktoberfest promo, only until October 9!
With Halloween right around the corner, it’s time to start looking for your costume, planning your pumpkin carving ideas, and thinking about your decorations.
While dressing up is what it’s all about, it’s also a great time to dress up your home too! This year, why not mix it up a little with some savvy, unique tech decorations? Keep the jack-o-lanterns, plastic cauldrons, and fake creepy crawlies in the basement this year and invest in some cool tech decorations that are guaranteed to give your home the winning edge.
Now, we want to help you become the envy of your neighbors by making your house look as frightening as possible. That’s why we’ve put together some tips on making Halloween decorations and using the best tech Halloween props to give your house a whole new look for the spooky season.
Digital Halloween Decorations
Most of us dabble in tech gadgets every day, even if it’s just our smartphones. Going the extra mile with these digital and animated Halloween decorations will ensure you’ll give your trick-or-treaters and party guests the ultimate fright night.
Halloween Hologram
Tech decorations don’t have to be difficult. With a simple projector kit, you can dress up your windows with a Halloween hologram and give your trick-or-treaters the impression that you’re not home alone!
LED Light Show
Who says outdoor light decorations are just for Christmas? This LED light projector will make your home stand out with a decorative light show. With a variety of slides and patterns, a remote control, an auto-timer function, and advanced water wave projection, it’s a fun way to give your house a serious splash of colour and fun.
Ghost Drone
Already have a drone handy at home? If you like getting creative or prefer making Halloween decorations yourself, give your drone a makeover and turn it into a spooky ghost with a bedsheet or a cheesecloth. Alternatively, you can drape a store-bought hanging skeleton over your drone. Watch your visitors run for their lives as it comes floating towards them!
Amazon Echo
Halloween is the perfect time to put your Amazon Echo to good use! All you have to do is enable Alexa and say ‘Alexa, start spooky Halloween sounds’ into the speaker. This can play on a continuous loop for your Halloween party, and the speaker itself can easily be disguised or hidden to give off the ultimate aural illusion.
Animated Halloween Decorations
Animated Hanging Ghost
Hang this animated hanging ghost above your front door or from the ceilings in your home to give troublesome trick or treaters a good scare. This touch and voice-activated ghoul lights up, shakes its arms, and makes spine-tingling sounds, making it the perfect starting point for your Halloween props collection.
Animated Zombie Fogger
Are you looking for a Halloween addition to your front lawn or back yard? Freak out your friends and family with the Gaseous Zombie Fogger, a two-foot tall zombie that pulls himself out of the ground and spits fog from his gruesome, decaying mouth.
Talking Eyeball Doorbell
For something a little more scare-proof and playful, this animated talking doorbell is perfect. With an ultra-bright glow-in-the-dark light and high-quality sound with a variety of spooky sayings, this gadget will give your party guests an entertaining Halloween greeting.
Haunted Moving Painting
Give your Halloween trick or treaters and party guests an authentic haunted house experience with these 3D haunted portraits. The painted faces change at different angles, giving off the illusion that you’re being watched—the perfect combination of mystery and horror.
How To Display Photos At A Party
When you’ve spent hours transforming your home into the ultimate haunted house and planning your best Halloween costume, you’ll want to make sure it’s remembered with the best Halloween photos. You could even set up a makeshift photo booth and host a Halloween costume competition for your party guests!
Whatever you decide to do, you can display your Halloween photos perfectly using a digital photo frame. Browse our range of Wi-Fi Photo Frames, Smart Frames, and Digital Frames online now and make this Halloween the most memorable one yet!
Oktoberfest should be on every traveler’s bucket list! This grand celebration draws millions of people from all over the world, and the crowds are only getting bigger and bigger each year–and we haven’t counted the other Oktoberfest celebrations in other destinations around the world! If you’re attending this year, here’s some basic intel so you’re as prepared as can be when you join the festivities.
Book a table before going there.
Admission to the Munich Oktoberfest is free, as well as table reservations at most tents. However, since it’s all free, you can expect that tables at the beer tents will quickly be booked. The beer tents are usually closed for overbooking on Fridays and Saturdays, but a reservation will allow you to enter without any hassle.
Note the beer serving hours.
Sorry to disappoint, but beer isn’t exactly a free-flowing affair during Oktoberfest. In fact, beer is only served until 10:30 p.m (though some tents serve alcohol until 12:30 a.m.). The beer isn’t exactly dirt-cheap either–the cost ranges from 10.8 euros to 11.8 euros, so you’d want to get your money’s worth.
Check the schedule of attractions.
Oktoberfest isn’t just an occasion to get drunk–it’s also a time to have lots of fun! If you need a break from munching on Bavarian delicacies and drinking beer, you can check out the several attractions on the festival grounds. From sky-high swings to ghost trains to intense roller coasters, you won’t run out of thrilling options to try from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Consider dressing like a local.
You can wear whatever you want to the festival, but we highly suggest you get in the Oktoberfest spirit by outfitting yourself in German garb! After all, it’s not always every day when you can dress up in Lederhosen shorts or a Dirndl dress. Take advantage of the occasion!
Brush up on your German.
It wouldn’t hurt to learn a few German words before joining the festivities! Some important phrases: ‘Ein Ma, bitte!’ (One beer, please!), ‘Prost!’ (Cheers!), and ‘Ich habe so einen Katter’ (I have a killer hangover).
Don’t forget to stay safe, have fun, and take lots of pictures! Display them on a Nixplay Frame so you can replay your Oktoberfest memories over and over again! Take advantage of our Oktoberfest Sale and get up to 25 percent off some of our bestselling frames, only until October 9!
The pregnancy journey is a magical one, especially for first-time parents. So, how can you ensure that those milestone maternity moments are remembered forever?
Capturing that pregnancy glow on camera while getting ready for a baby can seem like a bit of a challenge, especially if you’re busy doing a million other tasks. But even if you’re spending all of your spare time shopping for baby clothes, attending birthing classes and baby-proofing your home, it’s never too late to start documenting your memories.
Our maternity photography tips and advice will make it easier to take timeless pregnancy photos.
How To Take Pregnancy Photos
Watching your body change every day can be a daunting experience, but it’s also one of the most exciting journeys you’ll ever have.
First, you need to decide on the kind of vibe you’re going for with your pregnancy photos. Most moms want to achieve flattering shots that complement their baby bump. As a baby grows in its own unique way, so does the body carrying it, and what works for one mom might not work for another. Do you want wholesome and natural candid pictures or theatrical, happy photos? The options are endless, and everyone has different preferences.
The most crucial aspects of any photo are the lighting and angles, which can spell the difference between success and disaster. If your bump is quite round and profound, a straight-on shot can work. If not, try twisting to the side at a 45-degree angle to bring out your bump.
Location is everything when it comes to taking photos, so be sure to choose a scenic backdrop with clear or natural lighting. You can opt for a relaxed photoshoot in own home, or venture further and get photos taken in a place that means something to you. Either way, the baby’s comfort and safety should be of utmost priority.
You can also highlight your pregnancy journey by taking a new photo every week from the same spot and angle. This way, you can clearly see the changes your body is going through with the ultimate time-lapse image. You can also mix it up and only take photos in your third trimester when the bump’s growth is most noticeable.
How to take pregnancy photos is up to you, but there are a few go-to guidelines to capture high-quality maternity photos, regardless of where you’re taking them.
Maternity Photography Tips
When taking maternity photos, you should steer clear of loose or flowy clothing and stick to figure-hugging material. This is the most effortless way to emphasize your baby bump, which is the whole point of having pregnancy photos.
The most common pregnancy pose is holding your hands gently on your belly, which never fails to look natural and nurturing. But don’t hesitate to get creative with standing, sitting and leaning positions in your photos. The main focus will always be the bump, so as long as you’re angling the camera to your belly, your photos will be effective.
While taking your photos in nice, natural daylight is generally the way to go, you could be a little more adventurous and play around with shadow or low light photography. This will help you go the extra mile to show off that precious baby bump while lessening the focus on yourself in the photos.
Selfies are also a great way to document your pregnancy journey, but these should be more realistic. A good selfie needs eye contact and a genuine, relatable smile. This is the perfect way to capture pregnancy photos if you want to do it in the style of a diary or a vlog.
Couples Maternity Photography
Pregnancy isn’t just a special time for mom. Couples maternity photography is a memorable way to get dad involved and spend some quality time together before the baby is born.
It’s important to take maternity photos that express who you are as a couple and encapsulate the emotions you’re both feeling. The best tip for couples is to keep close together and to not be afraid to make it personal and fun. Even making each other laugh can create picture-perfect memories. This is the last time it’s going to be just the two of you before you embark on the long journey of parenthood, so make the most of it!
Getting Ready For A Baby
Getting ready for a baby can be a nerve-wracking time, but it’s also a time to celebrate! As busy and complicated as it can be, you shouldn’t forget that you’re about to bring new life into the world, and a moment as huge as this deserves the best photos.
Sharing your pregnancy journey with loved ones and friends is important too, and it’s going to be easier with a digital photo frame. With our high-tech range of displays, you can view and share your maternity photos anywhere you like and create a special keepsake the whole family can enjoy.
Attending Oktoberfest in Munich should be on everyone’s bucket list. It’s two weeks of beer, food, and loads of fun. If you’re planning to attend this event, here are some fun trivia you should know beforehand.
It wasn’t originally a beer festival.
You read that right: Oktoberfest wasn’t always all about beer. In fact, not a single drop was served during the very first Oktoberfest! Held in 1810, the event originally commemorated the wedding of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and his wife, Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. In fact, the open space where Oktoberfest celebrations are held is called Theresienwiese, or Theresa’s fields.
You have to wait for the go signal to drink.
You can’t just enter a tent and request for a beer stein immediately. First, there’s an official gun salute, followed by the mayor announcing ‘O’zapft is!’, then the first mug of beer is offered to the Bavarian minister-president. When this ceremony is done, only then can the drinking commence.
The beer served here is special.
Each year, 7.5 million liters of beer are specially brewed within Munich for Oktoberfest by just six breweries: Augustiner-Bräu, Löwenbräu, Spatenbräu, Hacker-Pschorr-Bräu, and Paulaner-Bräu, and Staatliches Hofbräu-München. Oktoberfestbier, as the special brew is called, is usually darker and stronger than most beers, with up to six percent alcohol due to a higher hop content.
You should dress for the occasion.
If you really want to get into the Oktoberfest spirit, you should deck yourself out in traditional Bavarian garb. For girls, it’s a dirndl, and for guys, it’s lederhosen. But if that’s not your style, you can deck yourself out in Adidas’ Oktoberfest sneakers, which have a waterproof leather upper and a Bavarian flag-emblazoned insole.
There’s also a wine tent.
Not in the mood for beer? There’s a tent that serves 15 different types of wine, as well as champagne and sparkling wines. Oh, and there’s around 140 food stands and eateries too–perfect for filling up before drinking!
