Munich's epic annual party has officially begun.
Though many call it the world's largest beer festival, it isn't a beer festival at all, but rather a celebration of Bavarian culture - of which beer just happens to be a part.
Either way, the lederhosen are out and the dirndls are donned for the merrymaking that will continue until October 3.
As a nod to the party, we bring you some fun facts about Oktoberfest.
1. IT BEGAN AS A WEDDING
The first one took place in 1810 and was actually an open-invite wedding celebration for the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, which took place at the Theresienwiese (Theresia meadow), where it continues to be held to this day.
For the first few years, the main event wasn't even beer but horse races. It was in 1819 when the beer vendors first arrived.2. SEPTEMBERFEST, ANYONE?
Despite its name, much of the festival actually takes place in September. It begins on the first Saturday after September 15, and goes until early October.
The start was at some point moved forward to make the most of the weather, but the name stuck. Anyway, the locals call it "Wiesn" after the land on which it takes place.They also don't drink just plain old "beer" but Oktoberfestbier, which is made by six Munich-based breweries, specifically for the event. According to the Bavarian Purity Requirements, there are only three ingredients used: water, barley and hops.
Locals also have a special name for those revellers who over-consume and end up passed out on the beerfest grounds: they call them Bierleichen, or "beer corpses."3. THE MAYOR POURS THE FIRST
The festivities begin with a 12-gun salute, after which the mayor cracks the first beer barrel, yelling "O' zapft is!" ("It's tapped!"). He then hands the first beer to the minister-president of the state of Bavaria.4. IT AINT CHEAP
Entry is free but, according to the official website, oktoberfest.de, one litre of beer this year will cost between R167 (€10.60) and R172 (€10.95).
Sadly, the added expense of security, such as baggage checks and entrance controls, means the organisers are raising the price of non-alcoholic drinks too. In fact, in the Weinzelt (wine tent), 1l of water is R183 (€11.60) - more expensive than one litre of beer anywhere.
5. IT'S MOVED WITH THE TIMES
There is an official app that allows users to input their height, weight and the number of beers they've had for an estimate of their blood alcohol level and how long it will take them to sober up.There's also an app that lets singles find others who are looking to mingle.
And Adidas makes a special pair of sneakers for the event, with materials that are "puke and beer repellent."
They have the word "PROST" ("cheers") emblazoned on the side in gold.
6. YOU'LL FIND LOTS OF KIDS THERE
Hundreds of children attend every year, mainly for the fairground which includes a Ferris wheel, roller coasters and games. Besides that, the legal drinking age in Germany is 16 for beer and wine.
7. MUG SMUGGLING IS NOT OKAY
The official beer mugs are available for purchase but people seem to like to try to steal them for souvenirs. Guards positioned near the entrances are on the lookout for naughty mug smugglers...