Oktoberfest opens in Munich, Germany (PHOTOS)
Munich mayor Christian Ude taps the first barrel of beer with the traditional ‘O’zapft is!’ (It’s tapped!) to start the Oktoberfest 2012 beer festival at Theresienwieseat on September 22, 2012 in Munich, Germany.
Not even Oktoberfest is immune from the euro zone crisis.
Oktoberfest opened today in Munich, Germany with much rejoicing and beer prices that have climbed 35 cents per liter this year.
Oh, the humanity.
In the last decade, beer prices for a in Munich have jumped from a low of 6.30 euros to as much as 9.50 ($12.30) this year, Oktoberfest officials announced before the festival.
They suggest you don't worry.
"This means an increase of almost 43 percent," organizers said on the Oktoberfest website. "Still, there is no need to call beer 'liquid gold,' as the price for gold has increased by 300 percent."
Whatever.
Like that's going to help.
Not that a price increase is expected to dampen spirits, because not even rain could do that today in Munich.
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Mayor Christian Ude tapped the first keg to the joyous cheers of thousands as the 179th edition of the festival opened under rainy skies.
With two swings of an oversized hammer, Ude shouted "O'zapft is," or "It's tapped" and the suds started flowing, The Associated Press said.
The first Oktoberfest in 1810 began when Bavaria's Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.
It was so popular (like, really popular) the tradition continues now as a 16-day festival.
It's only been canceled 24 times because of wars or other disasters, Deutsche Welle said.
Wonder what the price of beer was in 1810.
Of course it was a different game back then.
This year, 6 million visitors are expected in Germany, and vendors expect to sell 7.5 million liters.
More from GlobalPost: WWII-era bomb explodes in Munich (VIDEO)
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