German kids get a bitchin’ piñata on the first day of school
The only acceptable time to give a cone without ice cream in it.
On the first day of first grade, German families give schoolchildren giant cones filled with goodies.
Meant as a celebration, these “schultütes” are filled with sweets, toys, and school supplies. When the child reaches school, he or she unwraps the cone, gets a sugar rush, and probably gives the teacher a migraine.
The schultüte has been a tradition since about 1810 in Saxony and Thuringia, regions of central and eastern Germany. The practice spread across borders to Poland, Austria, and Switzerland.
The night before the first day of school, grandparents traditionally take their grandchild out to dinner, then label and bring the schultüte to school, where it is hung on a schultüten-baum (school cone tree). When the child arrives, they pick their cone off the tree without breaking it. To get children excited about school, the fable indicates the tree is ready to pick when it’s time to go to school.
Of course, these days families can purchase pre-filled or themed cones for about $30. Uber for Schultüte!
