On Monday evening, before the big Tag der Einschulung (first day of school ceremony), I visited a friend, whose daughter started first grade yesterday. My friend and I waited till she was in bed to empty her Schultüte and spread things out – there were stickers, candy bars, her first alarm clock, and many other small and cute items.
The secret life of a Schultüte...
I tried to remember what had been in my Schultüte more than four decades ago, but I just can’t. I can only guess its content as life was somehow still part of post-war Germany, but we were also in the midst of the German Wirtschaftswunder. None of the above would have been in it, of that I am sure. I probably had a bit of chocolate in there, as well as school supplies.
I just remember thinking this Schultüte was better than any birthday gift, as my birthday is 23 Dec (in Germany, this is the day before Weihnachten, as Germans celebrate it on 24 Dec) and every year my birthday got mangled in the Christmas preparations and gift-giving.
I have decided that the Schultüte is a science all to itself.
– Do you pack it with sweets, stationary, books, or a mixture?
– Do you make it yourself, does the child make it in Kindergarten, do you buy it?
– Does the child get it before the Church service, or after their first lesson?
– Who looks after it in the Church? Who looks after it at the school?
Having read several blogs in the past week on this topic, there appear to be so many variations on the main tradition!
Meine Tochter hat ihre Schultüte an ihrem 1.Schultag kaum aus den Augen gelassen und war sehr stolz. Sie hat sich auch sehr über den Inhalt gefreut. Schmucksachen, Bücher/Kassette, Kleidung und natürlich ein paar Süßigkeiten. Das Obst kam aus der Schultüte von REWE. Ich selbst kann mich auch nicht mehr erinnern was in meiner Schultüte drin gewesen ist.