| Dear Fellow Genealogist,
Oktoberfest is officially underway in Munich, which raises one of the most common questions about the yearly event: why is a festival called Oktoberfest mostly celebrated in September? The answer involves history and tradition.
German genealogy has been a big part of my family history journey. In fact, I studied German for eight years–and majored in the language I didn't even speak–specifically because I wanted to better understand the records and letters my ancestors left behind. Genealogy will apparently make you learn an entire language rather than admit defeat to a church register!
In today's newsletter, we dig into the history of Oktoberfest and why September was historically key to the celebration. We also share tips for identifying your German ancestral village and walk through how to find Protestant church records on Archion.de.
Raising a stein to a Kirchenbuch written in legible handwriting,
— Katharine, Digital Editor of Family Tree Magazine
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