My Oddfellows Lodge holds an Octoberfest dinner every year, cleverly titled, Oddtoberfest. As a Lodge we do a lot of fundraising and community outreach projects, but not Oddtoberfest. For Oddtoberfest we just sit back eat a big meal, drink a lot of beer (which the Lodge brews itself) and eat cakes. It’s pretty great. Oh, we also learn what Octoberfest is all about. Want to give it a guess? Don’t cheat! Just guess… Done? If you guessed it had something to do with the bored, pampered, royalty of Europe you are correct. Give yourself a gold star.
The Oktoberfest tradition started in 1810 to celebrate the October 12th marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese. The citizens of Munich were invited to join in the festivities which were held over five days on the fields in front of the city gates. The main event of the original Oktoberfest was a horse race. Anniversary celebrations were held annually thereafter that eventually became larger and more elaborate.
Now you know that you and every dumb frat boy in this country celebrating Oktoberfest is a disgusting Royalist pig. Learning is fun!
Anyway, what I really wanted to talk you about today was Dusseldorf mustard. Which until Oddtoberfest 2011 I did not know existed. I don’t know anything about how mustards are made but this was some spicy, tart stuff. Like no mustard I’d ever had before. All I know was that it was delicious and now I have to find some, you should too.
