Annually, GA hosts a traditional German festival called Oktoberfest, where foods and music are enjoyed by students and faculty. Every year, millions gather in Munich, Germany, to celebrate Oktoberfest, one of Germany’s most famous festivals. Oktoberfest is a widely known German folk festival held annually in Munich and will take place this year from Sep.1 9 to Oct. 4.
This festival began in 1810 as a celebration of the marriage between the Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese, and eventually became a tradition. Now, it has become a lively cultural and social festival celebrated with amusement rides, traditional foods and music. Common traditions include gathering in large tents to eat or drink, listening to Bavarian music and socializing.
Here at GA, similar traditions are carried out for the students to enjoy all together and learn more about this festival through experiencing it. It is also a way for our school to connect with its German roots.
“When I came to GA 18 years ago as a German teacher, my slogan was to put the German back into Germantown Academy because we were founded as a bilingual school with a German Head of School and English Head of School, but we had forgotten the German side of things,” Head of School, Rich Schellhas, said. “And so, one of my dreams as Head of School, and as Upper School head originally when I started the Oktoberfest seventeen years ago, was to remind us of the fact that we were founded as a bilingual school.”
This year, GA’s annual Oktoberfest was held on Friday, Oct. 2 during a break party, complete with food, music and treats in the Connor Quad. Some foods that were at the celebration included sausages, gummy bears and pretzels, all of which are also traditionally enjoyed in Munich. One of the sausages at Oktoberfest was called Bratwurst (pronounced BRAT-voorst), which is a traditional German sausage made of pork, an option along with kosher and vegetarian sausages
There are also many people who helped make Oktoberfest at GA possible, including NexDine, who helped to cater the food, and the Executive Assistant to the Head of School Mrs. Beth Taylor, who was in charge of decorations.
Oktoberfest has become a major part of the GA celebrations and history and is widely enjoyed by all students and faculty. It brings people together to celebrate and allows for everyone to learn about the German culture that our school was founded upon.
“My favorite part of Oktoberfest is that it is a moment of happiness in a day that can be busy and sometimes stressful,” Mr. Schellhas said. “I think it’s really important to infuse some fun into any given school day. And I also think that, just for a fleeting second, to remember the fact that our school came from this dual heritage perspective is interesting, and I think having a brief reminder of that is a positive thing.”
Sena Etik, one of GA’s German exchange students was interviewed on her thoughts about GA’s Oktoberfest. “I think it’s great that GA hosts something like this,” she said. “It was great to see it and to be able to compare it to Germany’s because I myself went to the Oktoberfest this year. The comparison, of course, is different, but it’s a great way to celebrate German culture.”
Oktoberfest brings joy to many people and is made possible by many as well. It is a way for GA to reconnect with its German roots while also eating delicious foods and coming together with others.