A Great Tradition - 06.03.2010

A wonderful tradition about which I recently became aware is the Schultüte. In Germany and Austria, families present their child with this gift on the first day of first grade: a colorful paper cone filled with gifts, treats and school supplies. The cone is then hung on the outside of the child’s bedroom door the night before school as a special surprise. Vivian Lie, who was born and raised in Munich and now lives in Chicago, has made it her mission to bring this lovely tradition to the US, thus she founded KinderCone in 2008. Each 28-inch KinderCone is handmade in Germany from recycled paper, then filled with a variety of small gifts, including a journal, plush toy, pencils and more.

I met Lie and two of her four beautiful daughters a couple of weeks ago, and she is a passionate proponent of this tradition, which, she says, makes the first day of school a very special event. In Europe, many adults still have their Schultüte, which they have saved as a treasure memento. I think KinderCone is a great endeavor, since it emphasizes the importance of school, writing and creativity. Lie and I lamented over coffee the fact that children in the US are not allowed to use fountain pens in school. In Germany, the Schultüte would most probably include a Pelikan student pen. Visit www.Kindercone.com.