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Why Germans celebrate school with a cardboard cone (enduring customs)

#1
C C Offline
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211...ol-anxiety

EXCERPTS: Through wars and natural disasters, German parents have given their children sweet-filled cones to celebrate the start of school – and pass on a surprisingly powerful message.

[...] On the surface, German school cones are a very simple gift: a large, decorated cardboard cone, filled with sweets, stationery and toys. But over the past two centuries, they have acquired a unique place in German culture, as a much-loved, deeply symbolic present from one generation to the next – one that carries a powerful cultural and psychological meaning.

German parents patched together school cones during two world wars, in the rubble of post-war cities, and throughout the decades when the country was divided. In good times, the cones were filled with luxurious treats; in bad times, with potatoes, or nothing at all, and the cone itself would be the gift. To many Germans, they are the ultimate symbol of starting school, and entering a new phase of life.

[...] "The school cone is a traditional rite of passage," says Christiane Cantauw, an historian and folklore expert at the Commission for Research into Everyday Culture in Westphalia, in western Germany. "The child is leaving the early years behind and entering the school years, and this fact is taken very seriously in Germany. And the tradition makes that clear."

In addition, the cone marks a special new bond: "Through the transition to school, the child detaches a little bit from the family unit," says Cantauw. "And with the cone-giving custom, the family creates a reconnection, and conveys that 'yes, you’re now a school child, but you're still part of our family. We support you and accompany you on this new path, just like we did before.'" 

She compares the custom to other rites of passage such as graduation ceremonies, or weddings, that exist all over the world: "The community clearly states, 'Ok, we've all understood it, you still belong to us, but you now have this new role'."

For some, the memory of that special bond lasts a lifetime... (MORE - missing details) ..... VIDEO: These 3 German traditions make school special

What is a School Cone (Schultüte)?

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/DA0Jv_m7TPU
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#2
Syne Offline
Makes you wonder how little input German parents may have in their children's schooling, that any child might feel a lesser part of the family. Certainly was the case in the Hitler Youth, but how much of that "state raises your children" still persists?
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