The school cone - a beautiful tradition for the start of school The first day of school marks the beginning of a new phase in every child's life. It's a grand celebration, with grandparents and godparents invited, and a church service held. The first-graders are welcomed to school with a small celebration, and then the whole family heads out for a meal together. It's now a given in German-speaking countries that a student receives a school cone on their first day of school. But where does this custom come from? Where does the tradition of the school cone come from? The tradition of sweetening the start of school for children with a sweet cone is over 200 years old. The first written evidence of this tradition dates back to 1801 and dates back to the Thuringian Forest. The school cone was first mentioned in Jena in 1817, and in Dresden in 1820. However, the custom is probably even older, dating back to the late 18th century. Its spread stretched like a belt through Germany, including Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Rhineland-Palatinate. In other regions, the custom was unknown. However, the school cones of the 19th century cannot be compared to those of today. They consisted of the conical cones used at that time for selling goods. Parents who wanted to help their children overcome their fear of starting school told the story that a tree filled with candy cones would grow near the teacher. In some schools, a tree was actually decorated with the children's sugar cones, and each child was allowed to pick their own. A children's book further promoted the tradition. In 1852, Moritz Heger published "Zuckertütenbuch für alle Kinder, die ersten Mal in die Schule gehen" (Sugar Cone Book for All Children Going to School for the First Time). It reported that the teacher had a sugar cone tree in his basement, from which he would pick sugar cones for good children. The custom is now widespread in Germany, Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland. It has been preserved over the centuries, especially in its original regions. It was even maintained in times of crisis and war. Even poor families who couldn't really afford it didn't want to forgo giving their children a sugar cone to take with them. To make it appear as full and heavy as those of their future schoolmates, the bottom was stuffed with potatoes, wood shavings, or paper. There were also cases where a wooden shoe was used for stuffing. In some other regions, however, where the tradition was not so deeply rooted, the children went away empty-handed. In Westphalia, for example, it wasn't mentioned until 1930 that children received a school cone at the start of school. Regarding the enrollment in Detmold in 1923, it was reported: "There were no school cones, nor any other gifts." Today, however, starting school without a sugar cone is unthinkable. School Cones - A Tradition for All A school cone at the start of school is a custom limited to German-speaking countries. Children from other nations whose parents work in Germany or have found refuge here often found themselves without a school cone. This was often because their parents were unaware of this custom. If they are familiar with it, they usually happily adopt it. A sign of the importance of the sugar cone, especially in its original distribution areas of Thuringia and Saxony, is the initiative that helps refugee children, as well as children from poorer families, receive a cone for the start of school. For example, the "Zuckertüte" campaign was launched in Leipzig, which advocates for all children receiving a school cone on their first day of school. Should you buy a school cone yourself or make one yourself? Traditionally, the Zuckertüte was a bag that parents received when shopping, as it contained the goods. But this gradually changed. The cones were purchased specifically for this occasion. Once again, Saxony was a pioneer here. Factory production of the cones for the first day of school began there as early as 1910. Today, Bamberg, Bavaria, is the center of school cone production. Every second cone sold is made in the Franconian city. The custom of making your own sugar cone is also widespread. In some kindergartens, it's customary for parents to make them at the end of the kindergarten period. Here, too, there are regional differences. While a survey shows that 64 percent of children in Rhineland-Palatinate make their own cones, in Saxony-Anhalt the figure is just 10 percent. On average, 46 percent make their own cones. Another interesting fact in this context: In West Germany, sugar cones were round or conical, while in East Germany they were hexagonal. What can you put in a school cone? Originally, the cones only contained sweets, especially confectionery, marzipan, and dried fruit. Cones are given not only by parents, but also by neighbors and relatives. This tradition has continued in some areas to this day. Gradually, useful school items, such as a pencil or a slate, were added to the sweets. Today's school cones are more colorful. In addition to all kinds of sweets, they contain colored pencils, other nice things for everyday school life, books, and toys. On average, parents spend between €30.00 and €50.00 on the contents. However, for children, the value of the contents is usually not important. What's more important is that they get to experience a surprise at the start of school. Other customs surrounding the first day of school: In the countries where the sugar cone originated, starting school and the associated beginning of something completely new are still given central importance. The first day of school is celebrated accordingly. Days of baking are carried out beforehand. A cake bearing the child's name is ordered from the baker. The cakes are distributed to neighbors and relatives. Neighborhood children also receive small gifts. A school cone as gift wrapping—our sibling school cone.
