Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit

The undisputed champion of all Oktoberfest songs, "Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit" is played with programmatic regularity (2-3 times per hour). Composed by Bernhard Dietrich from Chemnitz, this four-line toast ends with "Oans, zwoa, drei, g'suffa!" (One, two, three, drink up!) followed by the crowd response "Zicke Zacke Zicke Zacke - Oi Oi Oi!". The ritual transforms consumption into cultural celebration: attendees raise their steins, toast with tablemates (strangers and friends alike), and drink together. This forced interaction creates genuine Gemütlichkeit - warmth, friendliness, and social belonging. Since 1898, when innkeeper Georg Lang introduced it to encourage communal singing, it has been the festival's central unifying force.