beer Archives - Blog

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!

Get into the Oktoberfest spirit with Nixplay! We’re marking the occasion by giving you up to 25 percent off selected Nixplay Frames, only until October 9. Prost!

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

St. Patrick’s Day is one of the most fun holidays in the USA. Even if you don’t have Irish heritage, you can’t help but want to join in the festivities. Good thing there are so many ways to spread the Irish cheer on St. Paddy’s Day! Here are some of them.

Wear green.

It’s not a proper St. Patrick’s Day Celebration if you’re not in green! Why green, though? Well, legend has it that mischievous leprechauns enjoy pinching people randomly. Wearing green, however, renders you invisible to leprechauns, meaning they won’t be able to pinch you. To play it safe, it won’t hurt to paint the town green on St. Paddy’s. You don’t have to be in head-to-toe emerald—accessorizing in green will do!

Attend a St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in the USA for centuries, with several cities going all out for the occasion. A simple online search should reveal if there are any events in or near your hometown. New York City, in particular, is well-known for its festivities, which starts with Mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral before a grand parade that wounds around the metropolis.

Drink a few pints of beer.

To be more specific, drink a few pints of Guinness. The Irish stout, loved worldwide for its robust flavor, is consumed by lots of adults who are out the celebrate the holiday. If you want to join in the fun, you might as well first learn how to pour a pint of beer properly: Tilt the glass at a 45-degree angle and fill it with beer until it’s 3/4 full, then let it settle a bit before filling it all the way to the top. Cheers!

Eat corned beef and cabbage.

Corned beef with cabbage is considered a St. Patrick’s Day staple for historical reasons. When the Irish began immigrating to America, they discovered that beef was more affordable than pork (the opposite was true back in Ireland). The growing Irish-American population paired corned beef, which almost everyone can afford, and cabbage, which was traditionally paired with salted pork. The rest, as they say, is delicious history.

Look for a four-leaf clover.

A little extra luck never hurt anybody. And what better way to attract luck this St. Patrick’s Day than with a four-leaf clover, one of the ultimate symbols of luck? That is, if you manage to find one: the ratio of ordinary three-leaf clovers to four-leaf clovers is estimated at 5,000 to 1. You’ll be a lucky soul, indeed!

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Don’t forget to capture the spirit of the holiday in photos! Display your memories on your Nixplay Frame, and take advantage of our St. Patrick’s Day sale to get up to 25% off on selected frames!