Schulstart in Deutschland

A Schultüte (or School Cone, often also called Zuckertüte ("sugar bag") is a paper (and later card board or plastic) bag in form of a big cone. When children in Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria set off for their first day in primary school, their parents and/or grandparents present them with a big cardboard cone, prettily decorated and filled with Spielzeug, Schokolade, Bonbons, Stiften, Radiergummis and various other goodies. It is given to children to make this anxiously awaited first day of school a little bit sweeter.

The tradition of the "Schultüte" leads back to approximately At first the practice of the school cone was to not give the bag to the kids directly. Marked with the students' names, they were taken to the school by parents or godparents and in a ritual, hung on a real or metal “Zuckertüten-Baum" (sugar cone tree) from which each child had to pick their cone.

The only custom that has changed in the later half of the 20th century is that fewer sweets seem to appear in the Schultüte, with more practical gifts such as Stifte und Bleistifte, Lineale, Zirkel, Bücher, Taschenrechner, CDs, and even articles of clothing replacing the traditional chocolates and candies.

Do you remember/ can you recognize some of them? Zuckertüte Zuckertütenbaum Spielzeug Schokolade Bonbons Stifte Bleistifte Radiergummis Lineale Zirkel Bücher Taschenrechner ‘sugar cone’ ‘sugar cone tree’ toys chocolate sweets pens pencils erasers rulers compass books pocket calculator