One of the biggest events of the year all over the world is Oktoberfest, the holiday where people all over the world come to celebrate beer, bratwursts and pretzels.
Oktoberfest originated in Germany before becoming a global phenomenon and one of the most important unknown parts of it is soccer and the use of sports on the day.
OKTOBERFEST AND SOCCER
Soccer is very important to German culture as a whole and the country usually boasts one of the best men’s and women’s teams in the FIFA World Cup. Additionally, the country’s domestic club teams generally dominate the sports pages.
It’s clear that the sport is very big in Germany so it would logically play a part in one of the country’s largest holidays. Soccer is often played during Oktoberfest as part of the celebration and like many other sports in other places brings people together.
Sport has always had a very important role in breaking down cultural barriers, for example during World War One there is a famous story of the German and English soldiers stopping fighting to have a friendly soccer game in no man’s land during Christmas.
Sport has always had a very important role in breaking down cultural barriers.
In Germany, many of the Oktoberfest parades and celebrations have soccer and soccer-related activities going on around it.
SPORTS ON HOLIDAYS
“We don’t have this in America during the celebration and it seems like something that would bring even more people out to the celebration,” said Austin McAnarney who attended the Oktoberfest celebrations in Denver. Colo., U.S.A.
While soccer doesn’t yet have the same role in U.S. society as it does in many other countries, there is still an importance of the community it and other sports create around other cultural events and happenings.
Oktoberfest being a large cultural gathering shared by different communities all over the world is something that can increase the popularity of the event.
Many other cultural celebrations can have sports played on those days, like American football during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.
“I always toss around a football on Thanksgiving with my family, it’s a tradition,” says Alex Rafialov.
Cultural celebrations are a time to be happy with the community you’re in and what better way to do that than by playing a game the majority loves.
