1st day of school - Zuckertüte - Berlin

Hi families

My daughter is starting her 1st day of school (a German public school) next week with the Einschulung (sp?) this weekend. I understand there is the Zuckertutte tradition - filled with candy, toys, school supplies, etc.. Can anyone share with me ideas of what to put in? When is it usually presented to the child? In front of other kids or at home?

I don't want my daughter to feel like her Zuckertutte is deficient or not up to par. She already had a rather humiliating and traumatic experience when I sent her to school for the Laternen Fest with a real stick (an actual tree branch because the teacher said to bring a "stick") while all the other kids had colorful sticks purchased at toy stores.

Thanks for any advice.

PS - do the international schools also do this tradition?

That's the right idea. Your child's favourite candy, maybe some coloured pencils (go easy on the school supplies because they usually get a very complicated list for school and you have to buy exactly what's on it), small stuffed animals, little books etc. There aren't really any rules. Just whatever would make her happy.

They get the Zuckertüte (also called a Schultüte) at home and then take it to school along with the brand new back pack for the Einschulung ceremony. It's a kind of a show-off thing. And you know that there's usually a church service before the ceremony at school?

Here's another thread on this subject Schultüte - goodie bags for first day of school
What to include in them, their purpose, etc.

Thanks so much for the helpful info!

I got a CD , coloring pencils, a new sharpener (brass) , chocolate, and a boxful of Bazooka Joe brand Bubble gum (where she found this beats me) in mine. Granted I was 34 when I went to VHS so you may have to change a few things. Oh yeah a roll of Fuji film granted only sensia but still it I am not here to judge.

Sweets Sweets and erh Sweets
The name "Zuckertüte" means "candy bag". I had a "Zuckertüte" almost the size of myself back then. By the way the other kids do not see what´s in your daughter´s Tüte since they are opened at home not in the school. I´m not sure when it´s handed over to the children. All I remember is I left the school building with the Tüte in my hand.

Church services are not everywhere. I think its less likely in Berlin.

That's true, and it's not compulsory anyway, but it's just good to know and one of the things the school may not tell foreign parents.

Compulsory it´s nowhere. Who should force me or my child to go to a Catholic church service while being a Protestant...or vice versa.

But yeah in Catholic regions it´s considered a "duty" and you´re quickly out of the regional community if not doing so, especially in villages.

Tell me about it. We have a Catholic and a Protestant church in our village and attend neither. Guess how popular we are.

We actually did attend the (ecumenical) church services for both our kids' Einschulung and they were all right, but I think some foreign parents might be suprised that it's common practice in Germany since there's suppposed to be a separation of church and state.

In/near Hannover?????????? Wow you surprised me.

Come to the east. We´re all non-believers.

Since when? The first sentence of the current 1994 (!) constitution of Niedersachsen states "Aware of its responsibility in the face of God ...".

Church and state are seperated. "God" is nowhere defined as "Christian God".
You´re free to worship Jupiter if you like