RateItAll: The Opinion Network

Today is October 12. On this date in history, 1810, we witnessed the first Oktoberfest. The Bavarian Royal family invited the citizens of Munich to join the celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.

This is the largest fair in the world, and usually over six million people attend.

The government sets the price of beer at the festival and this year a liter of beer costs between 6.95 Euros and 7.50 Euros. That's about $8.50 to $9.35 which is not too bad for a quart of good beer.

I attended 13 consecutive Oktoberfests (1988 - 2000). If you drink beer, and enjoy having one too many every now and again, there is really no better way to celebrate it. The atmosphere in the beer tents is electrifying - thousands of people with a single purpose. On walking in and feeling that raw energy in all of your sobriety, you may ask yourself if all that energy could not be harnessed and put to more constructive uses. But then the brass band is playing Life is Life, so you subscribe to that philosophy, join in banging your Mass-glass against anyone else's within arm's reach, smoke cigars, marvel at the sturdy waitresses carrying stacks of litre glasses, drink beer, lock arms and rock side to side on the benches in time to the German songs, exchange confidences with strangers and then ride a few roller coaster rides. Some tips from a veteran: Don't try to change table with a beer in your hand - you can't - the waitress will not let you sit down. Seating is often scarce and they make their real money on tips, and the only chance for a tip is a new beer, so why should they let you take up their precious table space with a big big beer that you have paid for and tipped for. A corollary of this is to maybe quickly check out the people whose table you join, especially if you are a woman, or could be mistaken for one, and you join a table full of male tourists. Look people in the eye when you are toasting them. It is rude not to (if they are German). Hofbrau tent is full of tourists and is pretty wild. The Augustiner tent has more locals and has the best beer. Don't even bother trying to outsmart the security guards by trying to smuggle out one of those big glasses. Probably not worth the effort.

never thought i would hear so much john denver at a keg party in munich. for the beer drinker at heart -- this party is the keg party to end all others. i wish i could get over there every year.

beer beer beer beer beer beer beer beer beer beer beer beer beer beer !!!!!