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https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211201-the-german-tradition-that-calms-school-anxiety>
"A couple of months before six-year-old Jara started school in London last
year, her grandmother in Germany began measuring her suitcases. She was
planning a special surprise for Jara: a giant "Schultüte", or "school cone", a
kind of cardboard cornucopia that is traditionally given to German children on
their very first day of school.
In Jara's family, as in many German families, every generation had honoured
this tradition, for as far back as they could think. Neither the pandemic, nor
the practical question of how to transport a huge and squashable gift to
London, were going to break that chain.
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."
Via Esther Schindler.
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
