Traditional Oktoberfest Drinking Games & Customs

Oktoberfest is far more than a place to drink beer. It's a living tradition with rituals, songs, ceremonies, and customs that have evolved over more than two hundred years. Understanding these traditions makes the experience richer and helps you participate rather than just spectate.

Whether you're a first-time visitor or a returning regular, here's your guide to the customs that make Oktoberfest unlike any other festival in the world.

O'zapft is! — The Tapping Ceremony

Every Oktoberfest begins the same way. At noon on the opening Saturday, the mayor of Munich steps up to a wooden barrel inside the Schottenhamel tent and drives a tap into it with a mallet. The number of strikes is a point of civic pride — fewer is better. Two strikes is considered excellent. The record is two, held by Christian Ude, who managed it multiple times during his tenure.

When the tap is in, the mayor shouts "O'zapft is!" — Bavarian for "It's tapped!" — and the first liter goes to the Minister-President of Bavaria. Only after this moment can beer be served anywhere on the festival grounds. Twelve gunshots are fired from the steps of the Bavaria statue to signal to all the other tents that they can begin serving.

The entire ceremony is broadcast on screens throughout the grounds, and thousands of people queue from the early morning hours to witness it in person at the Schottenhamel. If you want to see it live, arrive by 6:00 or 7:00 AM.

Ein Prosit — The Song You'll Hear a Hundred Times

If there's one melody that defines Oktoberfest, it's "Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit." The band in every tent plays this short drinking song approximately every 15 to 20 minutes, all day long. When the first notes ring out, the entire tent stands up, raises their glasses, and sings along:

Ein Prosit, ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit! Ein Prosit, ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit!

"Gemütlichkeit" is a German word with no direct English translation — it captures a feeling of warmth, friendliness, coziness, and good cheer. After the song, everyone clinks glasses and shouts "Prost!" (Cheers!) before drinking.

The tradition serves a practical purpose too: it reminds everyone to order another round. The servers pay attention to who drinks and who doesn't after Ein Prosit, and empty tables sometimes prompt a polite inquiry about your next order.

Etiquette note: When clinking glasses, always look the other person in the eye. The German superstition says that failing to do so brings seven years of bad luck — or, more realistically, seven years of bad beer.

Schunkeln — Swaying Together

Schunkeln is the act of linking arms with the people next to you on the bench and swaying side to side in rhythm with the music. It happens spontaneously throughout the day, usually during slower, more sentimental songs. It's one of the most genuine moments of connection at Oktoberfest — strangers who arrived at the same table as complete unknowns are suddenly swaying arm-in-arm like old friends.

You don't need to know the words to the songs. Just link arms, sway with the rhythm, and let the moment carry you. This is Gemütlichkeit in action.

The Trachten- und Schützenzug (Costume Parade)

On the first Sunday of Oktoberfest, Munich hosts the Trachten- und Schützenzug, one of the world's largest traditional costume parades. Over 9,000 participants march from the city center to the Theresienwiese, wearing historical Bavarian costumes and representing rifle clubs, traditional music groups, and folk associations from across Bavaria, Germany, and even other countries.

The parade stretches for seven kilometers and features:

• Traditional brass bands playing Bavarian marching music
• Historical carriages pulled by decorated draft horses
• Schuhplattler dancers performing the traditional Bavarian slapping dance
• Rifle and crossbow clubs in ceremonial dress
• Flag wavers from various Bavarian regions
• Decorated brewery wagons from the six official Oktoberfest breweries

The parade typically begins around 10:00 AM and takes about two hours to pass. The best viewing spots are along Sonnenstrasse, Schwanthalerstrasse, and near the festival entrance. It's a deeply moving spectacle that connects the modern party atmosphere to Oktoberfest's historical roots.

There's also the Einzug der Wiesnwirte (Parade of the Tent Landlords) on opening Saturday morning, where the tent operators and their decorated horse-drawn brewery wagons process through the city to the festival grounds. This parade is shorter but equally charming.

Brotzeit — The Art of the Beer Snack

"Brotzeit" literally means "bread time," but it encompasses the entire Bavarian tradition of eating hearty food alongside your beer. At Oktoberfest, Brotzeit isn't just fuel — it's a ritual.

Classic Brotzeit Items

• Breze (Pretzel): The soft, golden-brown pretzel is Oktoberfest's most iconic food. Tear off pieces and eat them between sips.
• Obatzda: A creamy, spiced cheese spread made from Camembert, butter, onions, and paprika. Spread it on pretzel pieces.
• Rettich (Radish): Thinly spiraled white radish, salted and served as a refreshing beer snack. A Bavarian classic.
• Wurstsalat: A tangy salad of sliced cold cuts, onions, vinegar, and oil. Deceptively satisfying.
• Leberkäse: A baked meatloaf that's neither liver nor cheese despite its name. Served in thick slices, often in a Semmel (roll).

The philosophy behind Brotzeit is simple: you should never drink beer on an empty stomach, and the food should complement rather than compete with the beer. This wisdom is especially important at Oktoberfest, where the beer is stronger than regular lager.

Hendl — The Oktoberfest Chicken

The half chicken (Hendl or Brathendl) is arguably the most popular food item at Oktoberfest. Millions are consumed each festival. The chickens are roasted on enormous rotisseries until the skin is golden and crispy, then served with nothing more than salt. The simplicity is deliberate — it's the perfect beer companion.

Eating a Hendl at Oktoberfest is a primal, hands-on experience. You tear the chicken apart with your hands, gnaw the bones, and wipe your fingers on a napkin (or, let's be honest, your Lederhosen). This is not a place for delicate dining.

The Ochsenbraterei tent takes the meat tradition a step further by roasting whole oxen on a spit — each one named and numbered. As of recent years, they've roasted well over 100 oxen per festival.

Traditional Toasts and Sayings

Beyond "Prost," there are several traditional Bavarian toasts and phrases you'll hear at Oktoberfest:

• "Oans, zwoa, drei, g'suffa!" — "One, two, three, drink!" Usually shouted before a communal chug.
• "Prost, Mahlzeit!" — A combined "Cheers and bon appetit!" used when someone is eating and drinking.
• "A Maß, bitte!" — "One liter, please!" The standard order.
• "Zwickt's mi, I bin im Himmel!" — "Pinch me, I'm in heaven!" An expression of joy, sometimes heard after the first sip.
• "I mog di!" — "I like you!" Bavarian for expressing fondness, written on Lebkuchen hearts exchanged between friends and couples.

Lebkuchen Hearts

The decorated gingerbread hearts (Lebkuchenherzen) you see hanging at every stall are one of Oktoberfest's most recognizable symbols. They're inscribed with phrases like "I mog di" (I like you), "Spatzl" (sweetheart), or the person's name, and worn around the neck on a ribbon.

Buying someone a Lebkuchen heart is a traditional gesture of affection — not unlike giving flowers, but more Bavarian. They're also popular as souvenirs. The hearts are technically edible, but they're more decorative than delicious.

Fingerhakeln — Bavarian Finger Wrestling

One of the more unusual Bavarian traditions you might encounter, especially on the Oide Wiesn, is Fingerhakeln — finger wrestling. Two opponents sit across from each other at a table, hook their middle fingers together over a wooden board, and try to pull the other person across to their side.

It looks simple. It is not. Fingerhakeln requires serious grip strength, and competitive matches can be intensely physical. There are actual championships, and the tradition goes back centuries in rural Bavaria. At the Oide Wiesn, you can sometimes see demonstrations or even participate.

The Oide Wiesn — Where Traditions Come Alive

The Oide Wiesn (Old Oktoberfest) is a dedicated section of the festival grounds that recreates the atmosphere of earlier decades. For a small entry fee of about 4 euros, you enter a world of:

• Traditional folk music played on acoustic instruments
• Schuhplattler dancing — the Bavarian thigh-slapping dance
• Vintage rides and attractions from past eras
• Traditional beer serving from wooden barrels

If the main festival feels too modern or too wild, the Oide Wiesn is where the soul of Oktoberfest lives. The tent guide covers the Oide Wiesn tents in detail.

Keeping the Traditions Alive

Oktoberfest traditions have survived wars, pandemics, and enormous commercial pressure because people keep showing up and participating in them. Whether you're standing for Ein Prosit, linking arms for Schunkeln, tearing into a Hendl, or raising your glass with a heartfelt "Prost!" — you're part of a chain that stretches back to 1810.

ProstCounter helps you keep track of the whole journey. Log each day, track your beers, compare notes with friends, and look back on the traditions you experienced. Because the best part of Oktoberfest isn't just being there — it's remembering it afterward.