A Boy and His Schultüte on His First Day of School

A photo of a new beginning for the Vintage Photos Theme Park.

"When children in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Austria set off for their first day in school upon entering first grade," Wikipedia explains, "their parents and/or grandparents present them with a big cardboard cone"--called a Schultüte or school cone--"prettily decorated and filled with toys, chocolate, candies, school supplies, and various other goodies. It is given to children to make this anxiously awaited first day of school a little bit sweeter."

I'm not sure whether this boy was anxious or confident as he held his decorated Schultüte (is that Betty Boop in a sailor cap on the side of the cone?), but this tradition must have been an exciting way for him to mark a new beginning as a student on his first day of school.

For more photos of students commemorating their first day of school in this way, see the Schultüte - School Cone group.