A Schultüte ("school cone"), also known as a Zuckertüte ("sugar cone") in some parts of Germany, is a large cone-shaped, cornucopia-styled container made of paper, cardboard, or plastic. When children in Germany and in parts of the Czech Republic close to the German border, in parts of Poland (Greater Poland, Upper Silesia, Warmia), in Austria, in the German-speaking parts of Switzerland and Belgium set off for their first day of school upon entering first grade, their parents and/or grandparents present them with this large cone, attractively decorated and filled with toys, chocolate, candies/sweets, school supplies, and various other special treats. The cone is given to children to make this anxiously awaited first day of school a little sweeter. History The name translates as cone, even though the German word "Tüte" is translated into English in most other contexts as "bag"—see also ). The tradition of the Schultüte has its origins in approximately the year 1810 in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia in Germany. The first documented report of cone-shaped Schultüten comes from the city of Jena in 1817, closely followed by reports from Dresden (1820) and Leipzig (1836). It started in the larger cities but spread quickly to small towns and villages, soon becoming an institution all over Germany. In the early days of the concept of the Schultüte, before it spread to other parts of Germany, the usual routine was not to hand over the cone to the children personally. Marked with the students' names, the cones were taken to the school by grandparents or godparents and in a ritual reminiscent of the Mexican piñata, they were hung on a metal Schultüten-Baum (school-cone tree) from which each child had to pick his or her cone, without breaking it. The story told to the children claimed that there was a Schultüten-Baum growing at the school, and if that tree's fruits (i.e. the Schultüten) were ripe and large enough to pick, it was then time to go to school for the first time. The only custom that changed in the latter half of the 20th century is that fewer sweets seem to appear in the Schultüte, with more practical gifts such as crayons and pencils, small toys, CDs, books and even articles of clothing replacing the traditional chocolates and candies/sweets. These are traditionally given by grandparents who also take the child out to dinner the evening before school begins. If they are