Social distancing is definitely not a part of the traditional Oktoberfest concept. The world's largest beer festival, which attracted 6.3 million visitors in 2019, gathers thousands of people celebrating in beer tents. It has now been confirmed that the Bavarian event will not take place for a second year in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While Munich's Oktoberfest has been canceled once again, Dubai, which is holding its World Expo this year, is reportedly planning its own version of the famous beer festival at the Dubai Marina. According to reports, it would start on October 7, and instead of the usual two weeks of the German version, it would last six months.

Every year, thousands of people attend the Qingdao International Beer Festival, or Asian Oktoberfest, in Qingdao city in Shandong province in eastern China. Attendees get to taste over 200 different beers from more than 40 international brewers. This year's festivities will take place from late July through August 2021.

The twin cities of Kitchener and Waterloo in the province of Ontario have jointly hosted an annual Oktoberfest since 1969. Visitors usually have the opportunity to attend one of more than 40 events. After a "virtual" version last yer, organizers are hoping for a return to normal in 2021. Shown here: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau opening the ceremonies in 2016 by tapping the first keg.

Melbourne held its first ever Oktoberfest street parade on September 16, 2017. Up to 50 participants dressed in traditional Bavarian lederhosen and dirndls celebrated in the streets of the city's South Wharf district. Among the performances: thigh-slapping, yodeling and pork knuckle-eating.

Since 1970, residents of Helen in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia have organized an annual Oktoberfest for the local community. Modeled on a traditional Bavarian town, Helen normally attracts up to 2 million visitors a year from around the United States.

If you go to this small town in southern Brazil, you may wonder whether you are still in South America. Founded by German immigrants in 1850, Blumenau has retained its distinctive Bavarian character throughout the years. Residents host one of the largest annual Oktoberfest celebrations in the entire continent.

In sunny El Cajon near San Diego, residents normally come together every October to enjoy bratwurst, potato salad and German beer as part of their own Oktoberfest celebrations. Shown here, the German band Guggenbach-Buam joined the celebrations in pre-pandemic times, performing traditional Bavarian festive music.

Billed as the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the United States, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati was first held in 1976. The festival traditionally kicks off with the "Running of the Wieners," where some 100 dachshunds wearing a hot dog bun costume race against each other. Another quirky event is the World's Largest Chicken Dance. It's still unclear whether it will be held in its normal format in 2021.

Beer gardens are more popular than ever during this coronavirus summer as they offer plenty of fresh air and space. These days you can find beer gardens all over Germany, but they were created in Bavaria at the beginning of the 19th century. Back then, brewers served their beer straight from the cooling cellars along the banks of the river Isar. They set up simple tables and benches for guests.

Germany is a beer country — and that's a fact. Using only four ingredients, German brewers have managed to create over 5,500 brands of beer. And that number is growing because every week, a new beer is released on the market. But Germany manages quantity as well as quality: It's the fifth-largest beer brewing nation in the world. China is in first place.

In the Ruhr area it's known as a Trinkhalle, in Mainz it is called a Büdchen, and in Berlin it goes by the name of Späti. These neighborhood kiosks sell newspapers, tobacco, sweets, and usually beer. What began more than 150 years ago as a place to sell water, now serves as an extension to city dweller's refrigerators, because the kiosk is never far away and almost always open.

Berlin's corner pubs, like the Willi Mangler in the Schönefeld district, are a part of German beer history. They have also become something of a cult. The mix of stuffy air, no nonsense food and a crowd of regular bar flies is what makes them so charming. Tourists rarely venture here, but residents of the neighborhood come to enjoy their after-work beer — freshly poured and unbeatably cheap.

Beer puts football fans in a festive mood or consoles them when their team loses. Well, in normal times. But the coronavirus has also changed that. The new Bundesliga season is scheduled to start on September 18, possibly even with an audience. However, there will be a strict ban on alcohol in the stadiums. So there will be no more beer-fuelled songs from the fans.

Funfair stalls, brass bands, and "Schlager" music are the main ingredients of a traditional German festival. A challenge to get through unless you consume plenty of beer. Well at least until COVID-19 arrived. Even Germany's biggest folk festival can't take place this year; the Oktoberfest in Munich has been canceled, like so many other folk festivals.

Whether wedding celebration, exhibition opening or hanging out in the park — beer in Germany is always an appropriate beverage for almost any occasion and may also be legally consumed in public. For a long time, it was considered a man's drink, but now beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage among 19 to 24-year-olds — men and women alike.

In Bavaria, where the German Beer Purity Law was adopted in 1516, beer has been an established part of life for centuries. Today, Bavaria has more than 600 breweries, more than any other state in Germany. In the Middle Ages, the breweries were firmly in the grip of monasteries. Some of these still exist, the oldest being Weltenburg Abbey (pictured) on the Danube.

Traditional breweries have now been joined by more experimental beer makers like Georg-Augustin Schmidt (pictured) and his micro-brewery "Braustil" in Frankfurt-am-Main. They produce small quantities of new, aroma-intensive varieties, often with organic ingredients and strong regional ties. The so-called craft beer scene is also booming in Hamburg and Berlin.

Those who are crazy about beer beyond drinking it will find more than 30 beer museums, beer hikes and beer brewing seminars in Germany. You can create your own beer at the "Grillakademie" craft beer seminar in Bochum. Participants also learn about the different varieties of beer as well as German brewing traditions and, of course, the German Beer Purity Law.

To mark International Beer Day on August 7, here's a quick guide. From left to right: the Berliner Weisse goes in a bowl-shaped glass; Kristallweizen wheat beer in a tall glass; lager is served in a beer mug; followed by a short glass for the dark Altbier; the small, narrow glass for the Cologne Kölsch brew; the rounded glass for Pils beer; and finally the Bavarian half-liter beer mug. Cheers!

Having a beer in a festival tent is a must for every Wiesn visitor. Once you're inside, you'll be carried away by the music and the fun. People sway and dance. The rules are quite clear: on benches, yes, but not on tables. Those who try to dance on a table risk being thrown out. And it would be a shame for a visit to Oktoberfest to end like that.

A beer tent isn't a beer garden! That's why you're not allowed to bring your own food. Those who do are quickly thrown out. Usually there are beer gardens in front of the tents where you can enjoy your snack without upsetting anyone.

Anyone who drinks needs food to line their stomach. Hendl — Bavarian for roast chicken — is the perfect choice: Crispy, greasy and easy to eat with your fingers. To prevent beer mugs from slipping out of your hands after the meal, wipes are included.

The Olympia Looping roller coaster serves only one purpose — fun! But wait a minute: every Oktoberfest visitor should consider the order of their Wiesn activities. Our recommendation: First roller coaster, then chicken and beer. Otherwise, centrifugal forces might have a devastating effect on the stomach.

Bavarian traditional attire is clever, as it gives you the chance to let people know your relationship status. If you tie the apron bow of your dirndl on the right, it means you're in a relationship. If you tie it on the left, it means you're single.

Drinking beer at the Wiesn is a rigorous sport-like activity, especially for the upper arms. The beer is served in liter mugs and its consumption requires some stamina. But one must drink correctly: Only grasp the handle, not the whole glass. It's not for those with weak wrists — though some revelers (pictured) still have some practice to do.

Getting tipsy is part of the Wiesn fun. But binge drinking is simply ugly. People who stumble around Oktoberfest drunk and who empty the contents of their stomach into the crowd spoil the event for themselves and others. After all, you didn't come all the way to Munich to forget everything because you drank too much.

At some point, your bladder will start complaining about all the beer you have drunk. But whatever you do, don't get put off by the queues in front of the toilets and urinate behind the tents. You wouldn't do that at home either, would you? Getting caught incurs a fine of up to €100 (about $96). So it's better to plan in enough time to make your way to the next toilet — there are hundreds of them.

Admittedly, it's a coveted souvenir. And some people think they'll just take the mug with them. Every year thousands of beer mugs disappear. Not a good idea: Stealing a beer mug is theft. And that means a fine! So it's better to buy one marked with a colorful plaque, identifying it as an honestly acquired beer mug.

Tables like these in the beer tents are in great demand. The tents regularly have to close their doors to newcomers due to overcrowding, especially on weekends. Nevertheless: Do not ever take a bench and reserve it for friends. Service personnel and stewards will quickly ensure that the free seating is offered to waiting patrons.

Taking pictures of women in a party mood is OK. But it's definitely not OK to photograph women who spontaneously take their tops off, called Blankzieherinnen in German. Stripping isn't the problem — photographing people who do it is. Women don't want their Wiesn striptease going global on the internet. What happens in the tent stays in the tent.