Zuckertütenfest

Zuckertütenfest: Sugar Cone Festival

Last week the Götze family celebrated Zuckertütenfest, as one of their daughters, Haila, was going to be entering the first grade. Zuckertütenfest, or Sugar Cone Festival, is a German tradition, a celebration for the transition of children from kindergarten to primary school. In Germany, kindergarten is basically for teaching kids social skills, learning to be a part of a group and such. They do learn a bit of the ABCs and math, but they don’t have to sit down a lot. They learn songs, dancing and spend most of the time outside. The “real” learning and sitting down on a desk starts at 1st grade in school.

Zuckertütenfest celebrates this change. The children receive colorful cone-shaped sugar cones (Zuckertütes) made by their parents, families and friends, which are filled with sweets and school supplies. The sugar cones symbolize the child’s new status as a “student” to the outside world. When the child starts school, other authorities, such as teachers, are now authorized to give instruction to the child. Such cones are said to sweeten the trip to school for first graders, a sort of “confidence-building measure” that is supposed to take away children’s fear of teachers and school. In the past, the sugar cones contained marzipan and confectionery, and necessary school supplies, such as fountain pens, rulers, circle and pencils.

In short, this old tradition is about taking away children’s fear of the “new” (school, teachers, learning every day for hours without parents), and about the children trusting in God, who leads their lives in the right direction. It is a positive event for the new “student”, who associates it with the joy of learning and the anticipation of going to school.

To give it more authenticity, the celebration at the Götze residence featured mom, Janina, and the kids dressed in traditional German attire.