Many a slip ’twixt stein and lip

TENS of thousands of revellers who tried to steal beer steins
have set a new record for naughtiness at Oktoberfest, Germany’s annual lager
and lederhosen extravaganza.

While crime dropped at this year’s festival in Munich, which
ended on Sunday (October 5), Bavarian police say orderlies confiscated 112,000
of the traditional one-litre “Masskrug” beer mugs from “souvenir hunters”
trying to smuggle them out of the fairgrounds – up from 81,000 last year.

Munich police hailed as “very gratifying” an almost
40-percent drop in so-called “beer mug brawls” fuelled by the 6.5 million
litres of beer that flowed during the 16-day festival.

In one bizarre incident, a 44-year-old man on a haunted
house ride jumped out of his ghost train carriage and demolished an evil spirit
puppet.

That said, the total quantity of the amber liquid consumed
was slightly below last year’s, amid cooler weather, but was still enough to
fill over two-and-a-half Olympic swimming pools.

Overall, there were 1290 reported offences at what claims to
be the world’s biggest folk festival, which was attended by an estimated 6.3
million people this year, with 720 arrests – 39 fewer than in 2013.

However, authorities expressed worry over violent resistance
put up by many of those detained, which left 13 officers wounded with “everything
from bite wounds to injuries from kicks”.

The lost and found office collected 3646 objects, including
900 ID cards and passports, 530 wallets, 330 mobile and smartphones, two
wedding rings, one mobile cat carrier, a set of drum-kit cymbals and a German
Federal Cross of Merit 2nd Class medal.

The Bavarian Red Cross treated 7900 people but said alcohol
poisoning was down to 600 cases, including 16 minors, compared to 629 in 2013.

The first patient was treated for intoxication two hours and
five minutes after the ceremonial tapping of the first beer barrel – progress
from last year which saw the first so-called “beer corpses” long before
festivities officially kicked off.

On the culinary front, visitors consumed 112 oxen and 42
calves as well as untold numbers of giant salty pretzels, grilled chickens,
pork sausages and dumplings.

Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter says Germans and international
guests enjoyed an “incredibly cozy” Oktoberfest, adding that “it wasn’t the
sunniest, but we had fun”.

The Oktoberfest began in 1810 to mark the marriage of the Prince
of Bavaria to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.

The event has been held ever since except for years when
calamity struck, including during two cholera outbreaks, Napoleon’s invasion of
Bavaria and both World Wars.

Despite its name, the start of the fair has long been moved to
September to take advantage of warmer weather.